Enjoy Condy's "birth pangs of a new Middle East"

'Bricklane' unfolds battle of words

The novel 'Bricklane' by Monica Ali has been the subject of controversy since the novel came out and was chosen for the prestigious Booker prize. Bricklane is perhaps the most celebrated Asian place in Britain, popularly (and officially) known as Bangla town and home to thousands of Bangladeshis. The story of 'Bricklane' revoles around this famous street and Sylhetis is general.

Ali's sharp-witted tale explores the immigrant's dilemma of belonging. Nazneen, a young Bangladeshi woman, moves to London's Bangla Town (around the street of the title) in the mid-nineteen-eighties after an arranged marriage with an older man. Seen through Nazneen's eyes, England is at first utterly baffling, but over the seventeen years of the narrative (which takes us into the post-September 11th era), she gradually finds her way, bringing up two daughters and eventually starting an all-female tailoring business. Meanwhile, the more outwardly assertive characters—her comically pompous husband, her rebellious sister back in Bangladesh, and a young Muslim activist with whom Nazneen has an affair—lose their bearings in their various attempts to embrace or reject their heritage. In Ali's subtle narration, Nazneen's mixture of traditionalism and adaptability, of acceptance and restlessness, emerges as a quiet strength.....New Yorker Read this and other reviews on Amazon

Although the Sylheti community were offended at first when the book first came out, somehow it settled down later on. But the controversy has been re-ignited again when a deceision was taken to turn the controversial book into a movie. Protests were all around Bricklane to stop the filming and the Sylheti leaders were quick to express their anger over the depiction of their community in the book. From BBC......the following report

"People living and working in an area of east London are unhappy at plans to film the adaptation of Monica Ali's book, Brick Lane, in the area. They claim the book is "insulting" towards the predominately Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane, Shoreditch.

"The book is a good work of literature, but is insulting to the community...People are disgusted about the film, and while the authorities have given permission for it to be filmed here, it does not mean they have permission from the community....We will do what the community wants us to do. We are not going to leave it as it is....They have no right to do it [film] in Brick Lane" - a community leader"

More on Guardian...

Abdus Salique threatened to burn Ali's book at a rally on Sunday which is expected to be attended by hundreds of protesters. He said the rally would be peaceful, adding that he was trying to deter fringe elements - "who could become violent" - from attending. But he added: "[If] she has the right to freedom of speech, we have the right to burn books. We will do it to show our anger. We don't like Monica Ali. We are protecting our community's dignity and respect."

He continued: "It is not just filming [in Brick Lane] which is the problem. We don't want a film which degrades our community." Monchab Ali, chairman of the Greater Sylhet council, who is is helping to mobilise support for Sunday's rally, said he planned to bring a coach load of up to 100 protesters from Chester. "We are also in touch with people who are coming from Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham," he said. George Galloway, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, said: "It is dangerous to spread alarmist rumours about the protest. People have a right to peacefully express how they feel about how they might be portrayed."

So what's all these fuss about...what is in that special book that has angered so many Sylhetis. Since I haven't read the book myself, I have to rely on the news reports for the time being. From the Guardian again...

"The campaign has echoed complaints made when the book was published in 2003, that it promulgates stereotypes of Sylhetis, who form 95% of Britain's Bangladeshi community.

Claiming that Ali has been influenced by her father, a non-Sylheti from Dhaka, campaigners cite extracts from the book in which characters mock Sylhetis as "dirty little monkeys" who are: "Uneducated. Illiterate. Close-minded.""

But tensions appear to have been stoked by rumours circulating the area's restaurants and market shops, rather than direct extracts from the book. Campaigners claim, for example, that the film production company has offered young men in the community lucrative "bribes" to work as extras.

At a meeting on Monday night, community leaders expressed horror at a scene rumoured to show a leech falling from the hair of a Bangladeshi woman into a curry pot in a Brick Lane restaurant. "What will this do to our businesses, our reputation?" said Mohammed Tahir Ali, a trustee of Shadwell Garden Mosque."

The depiction of the Sylheti community might have been too rude for a guest audience but to us who are Bangladeshis living here that closely resembles the state of Sylhetis living in Britain - like it or not ! Monical Ali, a non-Sylheti Bangladeshi herself, 'might have' played typical Western cards in potraying an Eastern society but that doesn't change the real picture. Ofcourse there are exceptions but the reality is not too comforting. Anyway, now a new battle of words has started between the infamous Islam basher Salman Rushdie and the matriarch of the women’s liberation movement, Germaine Greer, who famously burned her bra in the 1960s.

Germaine Greer defended the residents of Brick Lane saying, “Ali did not concern herself with the possibility that her plot might seem outlandish to the people of Brick Lane,” she wrote in a signed article. “As British people know little about the Bangladeshi people in their midst, their first appearance as characters in an English novel had the force of a defining caricature,” she added.

I totally agree with the above comment by Germaine Greer. As the British people don't have much idea about Bangladeshi community, they might get a false idea about Bangladeshis in general. In that case the Sylheti Bangladeshis have a valid point. But I guess the Sylheti leaders are not fighting for Bangladesh, they are fighting for British Sylhetis only ! If they cared about Bangladesh and Islam, they would have and should have done many things over the last fifty years or so.

Rushdie described Greer’s defence of the Brick Lane activists as “philistine, sanctimonious and disgraceful, but it is not unexpected”. His rancour against Greer goes back to her lack of support of his troubles during the Satanic Verses crisis.

Rushdie claimed Greer had “described me as a megalomaniac”. “Now it’s Ali’s turn to be deracinated by her,” he said.

Well, personally, I woudn't even bother what Rushdie says or not. He looks like an Ar*e-ho*l* and then talks like an Ar*e-ho*l. He has Indian orgin, the films casts only Indian actors and actresses to potray Bangladeshi characterers (surprise! surprise !), the book badly potrays (not intentioanlly perhaps) both Bangladesh and Islam. So no wonder Rushdie is so vocal about it.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the film releases in UK. Lets just wait and see.

Another Tragic day

The British Board of Jewish Deputies give full backing to Israel. These are the same people who always bang on about the Holocaust. Never again will I watch a Holocaust documentary, play, movie or TV special produced by Zionists Jews who clearly have no regard for the life of anyone that isn’t Jewish! You people demand sympathy, yet commit genocide? Shame on you and shame on those politicians who are too gutless to stand up to you.
Samantha, Ealing

If Israelis want their own state, let them have one of those big, empty, rectangular ones in America's midwest.Most of them seem to speak with an American accent and they can enjoy each other's company and save the rest of the world from their arrogant, superior attitude.Let's see how the American Government and people take to Israeli land theft when its American land that is being stolen.
Paul Burns, Liverpool

The UN post had been shelled before, and then shelled again until the targets were eliminated, then shelled again when the rescue teams arrived. Obviously, all accidental, and if it wasnt accidental, it was in self-defence. After all, the UN has been "attacking" Israel with all this nonsense about illegal occupation, illegal settlements, illegal wall, use of illegal weapons on civilians, illegal use of civilians as hunman shields. The UN should know that Israel is divine and above man-made laws.
God gave it to me, UK

I have been watching and observing this middle east crisis since it has begun. Lot of meetings,interviews have taken place but of no avail. What I want to say that hezbullah is a political party based on relegious fundamentalism in lebonan as of what a RSS or Shiv sena party in India. You can't disarm such parties by force but by politically in banning such orgzn. The Vow to disarm Hezbollah is rediculius by militiary action rather it will make it roots more deeper in hearts of lebonaese
Jimmy, kuwait

Of course we should condem Hizbollah's attacks on israeli civilians, but Israel's response has been murderous and history tells us that it will achieve nothing positive, just another turn in the cycle of violence. Any US or UK politician who condemns Iran or Syria for sponsoring Hizbollah is a hypocrite while we supply WMDs to Israel. The only solution is the setting up of a Palestinian state. Clinton tried & failed, but Bush & Blair should hang their heads in shame for their years of not trying
Mark Billingham, High Wycombe, UK

So, the US spokesman on the BBC Today programme announced this morning that the US was going to be supplying humanitarian aid to Lebanon but did not mention that, at the same time, US aircraft carrying 5,000lb ‘bunker buster’ bombs for Israel have landed to refuel at Prestwick in the UK; the US and UK ‘leaderships’ brazenly treat everyone with total arrogance and hypocrisy – and people are unnecessarily dead and dying as a result.

[Brendan59], London, United Kingdom

Isn't it ironic that the Isareli Governement want the Hezbollah to adhere to a UN resolution, but the two UN resolutions against Israel demading their withdrawal from occupied territories and a return to original borders has been ignored by Isareal (and of course their benefactor the USA) for more than 30 years. Perhaps the region would not be in this mess had Israel been forced to adhere to those resolutions. It can not always be one way! Stop Israeli State Terrorism!
Enrico, Amsterdam

So, all the suffering of innocent men, women and children of Lebanon is justified because "TWO" soldiers of Isreal were captured by Hezollah? Well, USA and Israel are currently forcing the world to believe that it is justified. A simple question arises here. What about the daily kidnapping of Palestinians and holding them as prisoners without a trial, in the Israeli jails? What about using Palestinian kids as human shields during the so-called combing operations?
Ravi, Bangalore, India

All those that claim Israel's destruction and invasion of Lebanon was justified by the capture of 2 and the killing of 8 of its soldiers should logically now also call for an internationnal invasion and destruction of Israel, since these barbarians have deliberately killed 4 internationnal UN soldiers. As a side note I find it really funny when Annan asks Israel to conduct an "investigation" on the "incident". I would have loved to hear him ask Hezbollah the same after their military operation.
Simon Nigg

Israel is Demolishing Lebanon to get rid of Hezbollah.Well it was Israel in the first place that created and strengthened this movement by occupying Lebanon for twenty years.Hezbollah was going to be systematically disarmed by the Lebanese, if not for the constant Israeli threats of annihilating Lebanon.
faysal haroun, beirut, Lebanon

What a pity Dr.Rice did not have time to visit at least one Lebanese hospital.
Alan Palmer-Rodway, Chipping Norton

I find America hypocritical beyond belief to proudly state how they are working towards solving this problem and providing aid to the Lebanese people whilst at the same time providing more weapons and military hardware to Israel. How can they pretend they are not backing this Israeli attack on mainly innocent civilians? The kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and the unjustified rocket attacks on Israel are wrong but this response blurs the boundary between aggressor and defender past distinction.
Bob Bishop, Aberdeen

I think that the world has had enough Israeli terrorism. So far, nearly 400 civilians have been brutally murdered by the Israeli "Defence" (!) Force. I find the people who still refuse to condemn Israel to be dishonest and morally corrupt. How can you watch this barbarism and not condemn it?
Deniz, Istanbul

Double standards? The US and British diplomats delay talks so Israel can finish what they started and more innocent people die as a result. Remember this started because 2 israeli soldiers were kidnapped, and that justifies bombing a whole country and killing 100's. To put it into context, that would be like the Brits raiding the whole of Ireland when the IRA shot one of our soldiers. I get the feeling the US are only friends with Israel and Saudi Arabia because they have a large enough military
Stuart, Florence

"Eliminate the terrorosts" - oh yes, very Rambo. The slight drawback to your swaggering demands is the fundamental problem. They aren't a top-down organisation. Kill any of them, and more will rise. Keep killing, and more will keep arising. This policy has failed continually thorughout my lifetime. The US in Vietnam, French in Algeria, USSR in Afghanistan, US in Afghanistan, US/UK in Iraq. Just get off your horses, holster your guns, and think. For a change.
Steve, UK


Source: BBC

Please Donate for Lebanon !

Muslims as well as non-Muslims all over the world are donating generously for the Lebanese people. If you can, please donate for the sake of humanity. The Muslim aid is running a massive charity for Lebanon at this moment along with many other organisations.

Here is their web-address : Muslim Aid

Follow the above link to donate online. Alternatively you can donate by post, phone or online. I will update the list of other charity organisations who are asking for donations. If you have any other sources, please let me know.

Please Donate....

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Hello ! Human Rights, anyone ?

"Up until now, Israel has done the following: blown up our international airport, runways, gas reserves for planes (no one can leave or enter the country); blown up small military and domestic airports (both in the north and south); blown up all bridges and roads linking Beirut to the south; blown up villages in the south, everything from the deep south to Sidon; blown up - as I type this now, another jet is flying by, it is so loud - blown up the suburbs (Dahiya); blown up the Beirut to Damascus road at several points. We are surrounded by sea as well.

Everything that is happening now is because Israel is trying to wipe out any trace of Hizbullah in Lebanon. In the process of doing all this, they are wiping out our infrastructure. Our roads, bridges, civilian homes, innocent lives."

In an intimate diary, 30-year-old Lebanese artist Zena el-Khalil describes helping foreigners escape, the nightly rocket attacks - and how she couldn't leave her sick friend behind in My city, on fire again.

"We are under attack by Israel. It is so unjust and unfair. Everything we've worked towards for the past 10 years is gone. We had so many events planned for the summer: exhibitions ... concerts ... plays. All gone.

Lebanon cannot be occupied again by Israel....

Last night was probably the most frightening night I have ever experienced. We counted at least 15 bombs falling into Dahiyeh in the Beirut suburbs. I have not slept in days. I know I have to be strong, and I will be, but I cannot deny what I am going through. So many of us are working hard to fix things - we are running around Beirut trying to get food and water and medicine to people, we are doing things online, but it doesn't mean we are not scared, sick or tired...

Biggest cynical statement of the day: Israel has told people to evacuate from the south because they are going to annihilate the south of Lebanon. However, the people cannot leave because all the roads have been destroyed or blocked. And yesterday, when people did try and leave, the Israelis opened fire on them.

Israel is trying to bring Lebanon to its knees. Israel is trying to destroy the Lebanese spirit. Israel is trying to turn the Lebanese against each other, to turn us into animals scrounging for food, water and shelter. Israel and the United States of America are trying to drag Syria and Iran into this too. They are using Lebanon as bait. We are stuck in the middle.

We are a peaceful country. People of all religions coexist peacefully here.

I am not leaving. And there are many of us who are not leaving. We love Lebanon. We love what we have spent our lives building.

I don't want to write about all the miserable moments I had today. I don't want to write about the tears that fell when I heard about how the Israeli army bombed wheat silos and vegetable stores. Now they want to starve us to death? I don't want to write about how they are now targeting Lebanese army outposts and barracks, when the Lebanese army are not even fighting them. About the planes that are flying so low. About how my house starts to shake every time a bomb drops. About my worries now about food and water shortages. About the refugees who have lost so much, who are now living on the streets.

I don't want to write about the cramp in my heart every time I hear the death toll rising. So many children! I don't want to write about how everything I have spent my whole life working for has disappeared in a matter of days. A matter of days ... my whole life has changed.

My whole life has changed and I did not ask for it. My whole life has changed because someone, not me, decided they were going to change it. Who said they could? Why didn't they ask me?....

Israel has changed my life because Israel is targeting me as a civilian. And who said Hizbullah could take a decision on my behalf and provoke the monster?

Two bombs just went off. My windows are shaking.....

I want to tell Israeli citizens what their government is doing to us. Remind them that Lebanon is their neighbour and that coexistence is possible. How are we ever going to reach an understanding through violence? We were so close ... We were so close."

Bush 'shits' on TV

Now this has to be the best tv moment ever ! This clip is outrageously hillarious and funny. George Bush has been overheard making undiplomatic remarks about his view of the current Middle East crisis. During the G8 summit break, while Bush was eating and talking to Tony Blair, he thought the microphone was off and told the following to his best pal (about the mid-east crisis):

"What they need to do is to get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop this shit"

The clip is in BBC and can be seen in this link - George Bush's gaffe

So here you go, the cowboy speaks his usual language again! I wish he said - "What we need to do is to get UN to get Israel to stop this shit". That would have been more appropriate and helpful for the world.

Enjoy the clip !

Muslim rapper take on post 9/11 world

The song has been a massive hit on the internet already, with its video being one of the most downloaded on website MySpace.com.

Actor-turned-rapper Riz MC - real name Riz Ahmed - has established himself firmly as a class rapper , emphasising comedy with his debut single Post-9/11 Blues, a satirical take on the fear people have felt since the attacks.

In his own words....

"I'm throwing up questions rather than answering them.

What I'm trying to do with the song as a whole is talk about the way that there is a post-9/11 industry.

I think quite a lot of the way in which our cultural landscape has been shaped post-9/11 is laughable.

We're so bombarded with words like "fundamentalist", "British Muslim", "beards", "rucksacks", "planes" - this language, and our public symbols, have been invested with new meanings.

What I'm trying to do is investigate that, but in a different way.

I think quite a lot of the way in which our cultural landscape has been shaped post-9/11 is laughable.

I think a branding exercise has taken place. The war on terror; Osama bin Laden as a James Bond super villain - it seems as though the political debate has been packaged in the way you package a product.

Wars are being sold in the way in which lifestyles are sold in glossy magazines.

I wanted to throw up this absurdity, and take this climate of fear to its illogical conclusion."

Blast, Zizou and Alexander

I was talking to my close Indian friend who happens to be a RSS activist about the Mumbai Blasts that killed more than 200 people just a day before. He used to travel by that train line and most of his families live in Mumbai as well. He was saying ( to us) even the street kids in India know who (Pakistan) did it ! So everyone is asking for a war with Pakistan and he is ready to go for it. I told me that killing is not the way forward but he insisted that India should follow the foot steps of USA and invade Pakistan. According to him, like USA invaded Afganistan , India should invade Pakistan and that will teach them a lesson ! It's surprising that nobody has blamed Bangladesh yet but I assume the blame is gonna eventually come down to Bangladesh at some point. We just have to wait and see.

The world cup final turned out to be quite a show when Zizou, a non-practicing Muslim, head-butted the Italian player who was bullying him. Right after the incident the English newspapers employed few lip readers to find out what was the conversation all about that provoked Zizou to do such a thing. Here are some of the findings by the lip readers:

"Son of a terrorist whore,"

"I did it (the nipple-twisting) because I know that's how your mother likes it,"

"I wish an ugly death to you and your family,"

"your sister's a prostitute"

"you make love to your sister," etc.

Surprisingly the lip reading service wasn't that bad at all ! Yesterday Zidane, on french TV, did claim that the Italian insulted his mother and sister and he doesn't have any regret for what he did. So here we go - bravo to lip readers !

I was reading an article by Humayun Ahmed ( the famous Paedophile :-)) . In his China travelling diary, he preached to Bangladeshi audience that Alexander the great is a prophet of Islam. It irritates me to a great deal when somebody states a fact to a wider audience without any research at all ( much like Dan Brown; authors do have this preaching problem I guess !) . What I found out is the following from Wiki :

Dhul-Qarnayn is mentioned in the Qur'an. The story of Dhul-Qarnayn appears in sixteen verses of the Qur'an, specifically the 16 verses 18:83-98 (Al Kahf). There is extensive ongoing debate on who exactly was the historical character of Dhul-Qarnayn. Traditionally, many believe that Dhul Qarnayn is modelled on the Alexander The Great, through the intermediary of the Alexander Romance. However, in recent years, alternative theories have been proposed supporting other explanations. One of the most prominent of these is the theory that Dhul-Qarnayn was no other than Cyrus the Great of Persia. This theory has been endorsed by such scholars as Maududi, the Indian minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Allameh Tabatabaei (in Vol 26 of his al-Mizan), and Grand Ayatollah Makarim al-Shirazi (Bargozideh Tafseer-i Nemuneh, Vol 3, p69), among others.

Maududi writes in his Tafsir[1]

The identification of Dhul-Qarnain has been a controversial matter from the earliest times. Generally, commentators have been of the opinion that Dhul-Qarnayn is actually Alexander, but some characteristics of Dhul-Qarnain described in the Qur'an, it has been argued, are not applicable to the historical Alexander. The fact that the Alexander-as-Dhul-Qarnay theory actually refers to the semi-mythical Alexander described in the Alexander Romance makes the connection even more problematic for some Islamic scholars. Today some commentators are inclined to believe that Dhul-Qarnain was actually Cyrus The Great, an ancient king of Achaemenid Persia.

Muslim Comedy

This guy is simply hillarious ! When my friend asked me to listen the comedy act , I was a bit reluctant cause I am really not a fan of stand up comedy. But once I watched the piece, I couldn't stop laughing for a while. I would recommend anybody who likes comedy to have go at it. The guy has a blog of his own and posts his all comedy acts in it. You can also get his videos in youtube. Just search for Ummah Films.

So here you go...the first one -

Muslim While Flying - If you thought "black while driving" was bad...imagine being Muslim while flying. If you want to learn about what Islam really is, don't study the Muslims...study Islam.

And the second one...

Muslim Characters at Work - It amazes me how some Muslims act one way at the Masjid and then act totally different when you see them at school or at work

And the Massacre still continues in Palestine...

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered the military to continue its offensive in Gaza.

Today the Islamic University in Palestine have been bomberded and destroyed. Earlier Israeli terrorists destroyed three bridges and the only power station in Gaza. Much of Gaza has now been left without electricity and running water.

Israel, as an 'act of self-defence', also detained eight members of the Hamas-led government and 20 MPs. Palestinians called it an act of war. The Israelis say they suspect them of involvement in terrorism, and are holding them for questioning. The detained ministers include Finance Minister Omar Abdal Razeq, Social Affairs Minister Fakhri Torokma and Prisoners' Affairs Minister Wasfi Kabha and Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Nasser Shair.

Every few hours, sonic booms rattle the city, waking people from their sleep and setting off car alarms.

The international community has already cut aid to the Palestinians in March when Hamas took office. That's a "small" price palestinians had to pay for exercising their democratic rights !

'The International aid agencies reported yesterday that the Israeli terrorist air strikes have knocked out water systems and a major power transformer, cutting vital electricity supplies to hospitals as well as families. But guess what? No one has moved an inch, not the West, not the Arab world, no one. Ask yourself why? Because they are not Israelis. And because this is one of the aims of Israeli terrorist forces. Terrorism, Terrorism, Terrorism!!!' - Sabbah

Here's an email sent by a young girl in Gaza to a friend in Europe.....

LENA

THEY WILL NEVER STOPP DPOIN THIS WITH US AND BRITIAN SUPPORT, THEY CUT THE ELECTRICITY AND SOON THERE WILL BE NO WATER TO DRINK AT LEAST, SONIC BOBS IS SOME THIN MAKES U FEEL LIKE GOIN CRAZY, PLZ DO SOME THING

HELD DEMONESTRATIONS OR WHAT EVER,I DONO WHAT TO SAY LINA, THEY WILL DESTROY HOUSES AND DO MANY MANY NASTY THINGS AS USUAL

CAN COME HERE AND WORK WITH US ITS SOME PPLS JOB LINA, U MUST COME HERE TO EVALUATE THE TRUTH AND THE FACTS, BELIEVE ME, THEY R NOT DOIN THIS 4 THE SAKE OF THE KIDNAPPED SOLDIER, CUZ B4 THAT THEY KILLED FAMILIES TRYIN TO HAVE FN ON THE BEACH, I KNOW THAT UR HAPPY WATCHING THE MONDIAL, BUT THERE R SOME PPL HOPE THAT U WOULD SUPPORT US, CHILDREN R EVEN MORE AFRAID TO LOSE THEIR PARENTS,MOST CHILDREN THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GRL ON THE BEACH WILL HAPPEN TO THEM ANY TIME AND IN ANY PLACE, I EVEN CANT REACH GAZA THEY DESTROYED THE BRIDGES BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE GAZA STRIP

PLZ AT LEAST PRAY FOR US, I REALLY KNOW THAT U WANT TO DO SOMETHIN BUT U CANT, BUT I ALSO WANT TO TELL ABOUT WHAT IS GOIN ON HERE, THEY MAN ENVEY MA VILLAGE TODAY NIGHT AND IM TRYIN NOT TO IMAGINE WHAT CAN HAPPEN

IM WRITIN THIS E MAIL VERY FAST CUZ I DON WANT THE ELECTRICITY TO BE CUT B4 I FINISH IT

BYE

Lets all pray for them. That's all we can do for the moment !