The last week has seen the relative calm that the world saw after 9-11 get shattered. Terrorism has reared its ugly head bringing death and destruction to innocents.

So long as the terrorism is in far away Kashmir or the North East (where is that) - or even in Iraq, it is an event happening outside our individual universe or sphere or attention. But, when it happens in a Mumbai, or a New York or a London, or indeed a Bali or an Ayodhya - the fragility of our sense of security becomes even more apparent.

London was a place that i lived in for almost a decade. Ii loved that city and its people are amongst the nicest that you can ever meet. There is a sense of multi culturalism in that city that you don’t find elsewhere in the rest of Europe. People are different, yet they belong. I hope that the terrorist attack does not destroy this spirit. But, very likely it will. The Mumbai Blasts followed by the Mumbai riots - saw severe rents in the fabric of Mumbai society. After a decade all seems to be ok on the surface but the fault lines are there.

Ayodhya is much the same. A decade after the destruction of Babri Masjid - and the subsequent riots that it caused, we have a gang of terrorists who try to attack the temple site. Had they succeeded, there may have been a backlash. Afterall, the extreme right in India is looking for a cause to bring its minions together. And, this may very well have ended up being the lightening rod that attracted different strands of madness together.

In both cases, it is alleged to be the work of “islamic” terrorists - the reason why the term islamic is in quotes is because if the person was truly islamic, s/he couldn’t be a terrorist.

I am not sure about citizens of Mumbai, or London or New York or anyplace where we value freedom, kowtowing to terror. Most people I know were back at work, the day after the last bombing in Mumbai (2003).

However, the actions of the terrorists is going to put their co-religionists and other ethnic minorities in danger. Because, across the world right wing religious/nationalist movements have reared their head. A form of rightwing nationalism that merges religious fervour and national pride. A dangerous combination on any day. And far more potent in the time of deep insecurity amongst citizens. These kind of attacks are going to be siezed by these right wing movements to curtail liberty of immigrants. And it becomes a viscious cycle.

In a away, I agree with Teesta Setelvad who says in sabrang:

Communalism Combat, SAHMAT and the National Campaign in Support of Democracy condemn the attack on the Ramjanmabhoomi complex by unidentified persons this morning and appeal to all to maintain peace and calm. This incident reveals a serious lapse in security. Those who have perpetrated this crime need to be investigated and punished. However all persons in authority, political leaders and leaders of all organisations need to be held responsible to the Indian Constitution and Indian law so that an atmosphere of hatred and venom is not spread by those interested in whipping up communal sentiments all over the country.

Such an incident poses a challenge to the secular fabric of the country. Transparency needs to be followed in investigation. The media needs also to respond responsibly to information when labels like ‘terrorist’ and ‘jehadi terrorist’ are used intentionally by some organisations. Above all, this should not become an occasion for venom and hatred against minorities clouding our public sphere once again.

i have been reading the response to this quote in blogdom. The trouble with taking quotes out of context, in this kind of a situation, is extremely dangerous. My first reaction when i read the truncated quotes in other Indian blogs was, Teeeta Setelvad needs one tight slap. But, then i went to the sabrang site - and really speaking she has said nothing that is wrong.

There needs to be time to heal fractures in society. That is assuming we don’t want terrorism to win. Because if we succumb to terrorism, by allowing visible minorities to be attacked in response to the terrorists’ activity, then the terrorists have won.

also read Haroon Moghul excellent response - Thomas Friedman is either a bigot or an idiot - to the incredibly blinkered Thomas Friedman article - Muslim Problem, Muslim Solution.

Tags: World

A story whose black humour shocks you. And it is true. A bunch of women laughing in Niger about one woman’s dream of eating meat.

It’s hard enough for us to find millet,” said Habiba Abdulsalam, 30, waiting like the other women for help for her hungry, diarrhoea-stricken baby. “We can only dream of eating meat,” she said, darkly amused at the very idea

Almost like Anand’s story of the cabwallah.

Tags: Society, World

Dick Cheney Today:

“The important thing here to understand is that the people that are at Guantánamo are bad people. I mean, these are terrorists for the most part. These are people that were captured in the battlefield of Afghanistan or rounded up as part of the al-Qaida network.”

Words fail me. Truly they do!
Bad People.
wtf! wtf - prisoners of war I can understand. Terrorists I can understand. What are bad people? I can think of almost a dozen labels without even trying. What is this man trying to do?
these are terrorists for most part. What about the rest. or doesnt’ he know yet!

Tags: US, World

Last week i had posted my reaction at Dick Cheney being offended by the use of the word Gulag. I observed that it would have been so much more humane if he had been offended by torture perse.
Bernardo, Yazad and I have been having an interesting exchange of ideas on Semantics. Essentially the use of the word Gulag. The contention is that as the Soviet run Gulags were far worse than Guatanamo Bay, to compare the place to a Gulag was probably denigrating those who suffered in the Gulags. Other arguments were that the US, although it has had multiple foreign policy blunders is responsible for Democracy in some states.

My response to it ended up being so long, that i have decided to put it up as a separate post. To see the full set of views you can go here.

Let’s for a moment assume that it is one of us getting tortured. Does it really matter whether it is a “benevolent” state that is carrying out the action, a theological state or a police/military state. It really doesn’t matter whether you are being tortured in the name of God, Demorcracy or Communism. The fact is that you are being tortured.
Now, the question is - is it all right to torture terrorists, anti-national forces, and other bodies that generally cause social mayhem and a leave citizens with a general sense of insecurity? I really don’t know the answer to that - because it is so very difficult to draw the line on “whom is it ok to torture?”. I will give you an example:

Let’s now take forward the argument that Madarassas are breeding houses for terrorists. Where young men come to learn hate - and graduate to commit acts of terror. Now as far as torture is concerned where will you draw the line? At the terrorist who has been caught in the act of terror. At a person who has graduated from the ’school of terror’ whom you suspect may be a terrorist, the teacher who trained the students, the students’ families who probably knew what they were upto, - but kept quiet - where? Where do you draw the line.

I understand the general fear and anger towards terrorists. they have caused a lot of death and destruction in my country too. I am wary about giving the state absolute power. Very often in times of national crisis or war or internal strife - states end up assuming absoulte power in certain areas. Therefore, when states take on such powers and run roughshod over human rights - we all need to sit up and take notice, and bring the state back to its “normal” level. The state - if it could have sealed all leaks - would have made sure that this news never got out. You have to be grateful for the moral courage of ordinary American citizens who work within the system, and who have been repulsed by what their Government has become, for coming out with the truth.

The primary objection seems to be the use of the word Gulag. I see it as an effective communication tool:
Amnesty Internation, CRY , Coca Cola - Ford, any organisation - worth its salt - will put out their message in a manner that cuts through the clutter and catches popular imagination. For Amnesty Gulag did the trick. Do you really think that the world would sit up and notice, if they put out a bland “human rights violations of prisoners in Guatanamo” press release. After last years little outing at Abu Ghraib - do you reckon anyone would even notice “human rights violation”. The Gulag statement did its job. That along with the koran descecration - recanted by Newsweek, and then confirmed by the FBI - has put human rights back in the front line. This kind of sound byte communication is the RealPolitik of organisations today. Remember Bush senior and “read my lips, no new taxes” or Clinton “the Economy stupid”, or Cokes’ “paanch matlab coca cola” these are all lines and words meant to stick in popular perception. And, in that sense, Amnesty’s Gulag tag will also stick. Unless the US government does something quite unexpected, and comes completely clean on the issues. Until such time it blusters and bullies - the Newsweek fiasco amongst others- and evades the issue it is going to be lumped with states that systemise torture. I am not quite sure which organisation is feeling more stupid today - Newsweek for recanting so soon, or the US government for going blue in the face protesting that no such thing had happened, and then having one of its own departments saying yes, it did.

Next, on the use of the word Gulag. The contention being we shouldn’t use the word Gulag because violations by state A is not as bad as violations by state B, is a dangerous one. Again a set of examples:

In India, a couple of years ago, we had a Hindu pogrom against Muslims in the state of Gujarat. 2000+ people died. Pregnant women were gang raped and their bellies cut out. Children were burnt alive. Many of us called it a holocaust. Now, extending the logic - on American Human rights violations - not being as bad as the Soviet one - what happened in Gujarat was not a holoucast. What happened in Yugoslavia was not a Holocaust. Are we saying that if 6 million people don’t die, an event cannot be termed a Holocaust.

In an Indian riot 2000+ people die without any questions asked. A decade ago there were race riots in the US. 2000 people didn’t die. Less than a hundred died! was it a bad riot or a not so bad riot? It’s like saying, he owns slaves but he is a good master. Or he is a somewhat ok rapist because he doesn’t maim or kill the victim. Is a Tsunami that kills tens of thousands of people a worse disaster than an earthquake that kills only thousands of people. This sort of a view says that the individual does not matter, only numbers do. It’s a view that is very difficult for me to defend. It doesn’t matter if the offending state is mine or yours.

Now on the Democracy aspect. I believe that the American people have managed to question their government at every stage, and made the government accountible to the people. I have a great deal of respect for the way the people of the US have managed their freedom. I admire the fact that an uneducated woman can take the government to court, and win. I admire the fact that the poorest citizen in their country can hope to aspire for a better tomorrow. I aplaud the fact that when human rights violations happen in the US, the people of the country protest. As far as the state is concerened, it is like any state - secretive, power hungry, and interested in maintaining the status quo. Respect of the American people preserving the Democratic nature of their society does not have anything to do with the conduct of their government outside their shores.

Finally guys, in an ideal world you won’t need the police, the army, the tax collector, the state, or bureaucracy let alone amnesty international. But, we don’t live in an ideal world

Tags: Middle East, US, World

Dick Cheney is offendend by Amnesty’s description of Guantanamo Bay as the “American Gulag”. It would have been so much more humane to have been offended by the torture.

Stuffing his foot further down his mouth he said:

“I think the fact of the matter is, the United States has done more to advance the cause of freedom, has liberated more people from tyranny over the course of the 20th century and up to the present day than any other nation in the history of the world,”

Vietnam, Cambodia, Latin America, Chile, Haiti, Phillipines, Namibia, the list probably will ecombass two thirds of globe. Countries that have been raped, ruined and ground underfoot by the great American juggernaut. People have disappeared - tortured and then killed. American Benevolence has cost the people of the world dearly.

Ofcourse his last quote is the funniest. He says that the insurgency is dying down. This is ofcourse on the same day that the Chief of Police in Basra ..

admitted … that he had effectively lost control of three-quarters of his officers and that sectarian militias had infiltrated the force and were using their posts to assassinate opponents.

Good god! insurgency is replaced by mayhem. I guess that this is the US Government’s definition of progress!
It reminded me of that old joke - doctor: the operation is successful, but the patient is dead

Tags: World

Last week poor Newsweek got jhapoed by the Pentagon for publishing a report on the desecration of the Koran in Guantanamo Bay . The Pentagon put on its most angelic face and swore that nothing of that sort had happened.
Newsweek was blamed for the riots that ensued in Afghanistan leading to loss of life. I guess the pressure brought on to bear on Newsweek must have been tremendous, leading them to recant.
So did the desecration happen?
The FBI says yes.
This week the Pentagon is saying that yes the Koran was desecrated. It may not have been flushed down a loo, but it was desecrated all the same. Wikipedia has a chronology of Koran flushing incidents here

The management team at Newsweek must feel like a bunch of spineless jellies for having folded under Governement pressure so fast.

Tags: Middle East, US, World

Today, Amnesty International has called for the shut down of Guantanamo Bay - labelling it the American Gulag.
Amnesty, in probably one of its most contreversial reports in recent times, says:

The US administration’s attempts to dilute the absolute ban on torture through new policies and quasi-management speak such as “environmental manipulation”, “stress positions” and “sensory manipulation”, was one of the most damaging assaults on global values.

Irene Khan, the Secretary General of AI in the foreward to the report says:

the US government has gone to great lengths to restrict the application of the Geneva Conventions and to “re-define” torture. It has sought to justify the use of coercive interrogation techniques, the practice of holding “ghost detainees” (people in unacknowledged incommunicado detention) and the “rendering” or handing over of prisoners to third countries known to practise torture. The detention facility at Guantánamo Bay has become the gulag of our times, entrenching the practice of arbitrary and indefinite detention in violation of international law. Trials by military commissions have made a mockery of justice and due process.

The USA, as the unrivalled political, military and economic hyper-power, sets the tone for governmental behaviour worldwide. When the most powerful country in the world thumbs its nose at the rule of law and human rights, it grants a licence to others to commit abuse with impunity and audacity. From Israel to Uzbekistan, Egypt to Nepal, governments have openly defied human rights and international humanitarian law in the name of national security and “counter-terrorism”.

The kind of mass hypnosis that is created by Government in general, and the US government in particular, in the name of National Security is positively scary. Somehow, the sceptre of terrorism has built up to such an extent that citizens of the world chose to ignore all human right violations in the name of defeating their enemies. After all, if it has been dinned into you every waking moment that “they are out to get you” - whoever “they” maybe, and if you start demonizing “them”, then torture really won’t be seen as being evil. Nor would a few “accidental” deaths here and there.
Maybe we all need to start taking our Governments and what they say with a pinch (a few kilos of salt)

Tags: Middle East, US, World

The Pentagon has reached a new low. It has accused Newsweek of being “irresponsible” for suggesting that interrogators desecrated the Holy Koran. The Guardian reports a spokesman for the Pentagon saying:

” ….our reaction is that Newsweek reported something that was factually inaccurate on several points. It’s demonstrably wrong, and Newsweek has acknowledged that. But they have not retracted it, and have tried instead to water it down.“They printed a story based on an erroneous source or sources that was demonstrably false and that resulted in riots in which people were killed. I don’t know how else to parse it.”

Ahem. the Pentagon also thinks that Newsweek has damaged American image abroad.
ROTFL.
Well, Mr.Pentagon, if the USA has a half decent reputation outside its borders it is because of your Press, your movies, your Academia, your people - not because of the Pentagon or American politicians. The last two have caused too much death and destruction in too many parts of the world to be thought of well. Newsweek merely printed something that most people expected will happen. Its like a bunch of Redneck Soviets burning the Torah in the bad old days of Communism or a bunch of Nazis doing the same. It is an expected form of behaviour.
Now, let’s get back to the alleged Desecration of the Koran.
For an Army of Occupation that thinks nothing of chaining people up and dragging them along, in the nude, like animals - desecrating the Koran or anyother holy book is no great shakes. After all, the manner of torture was to humiliate the prisoner -as it voilated their cultural norms. As Edward Kennedy put it, last year:

In the Middle East and too often today, the symbol of America is not the Statue of Liberty; it’s the prisoner standing on a box wearing a dark cape and a dark hood on his head, wires attached to his body, afraid that he’s going to be electrocuted

Do you think that the same bunch of people in charge - of the torutre - would hesitate in flushing down a Bible (or whichever sacred book) if they thought it would break the prisoner.
Furthermore, do you honestly think that the kind of people we all saw in videos last year terrorizing prisoners would know the difference between the Koran and a telephone directory.
Incidentally, Newsweek has apogized. Its retraction is slightly wishy washy. but it has apologised. Whereas all is quiet on the Pentagon Front.
btw this is the same Pentagon that went war against Iraq based on unverified reports of Weapons of Mass Destruction. There hasn’t been any apology either from the Pentagon or its bosses.

Tags: Middle East, US, World

Todays’ scanning through news on the web brings the news that US attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzles condems torture tactics condems torture tactics. would have been so much more civilized if he had condemed torture outright!

Tags: US, World