Arrest them all
Arifur Rahman updates us on what Bangladesh is doing about the relentless attacks on secular bloggers.
Following the killing of Niloy, Bangladesh Olama League (a Islamist wing of Bangladesh Awami League, the party running the government now) have showed rage against Atheists openly in the capital. They then demanded law to be formed which will have provision of ‘Death Penalty’ for Atheistic writings. Among many other inhumane demands, they wanted all blogs having Athiestic writing to be shut down.
And they’re getting what they want.
The chief of police in Dhaka said this:
At a press briefing at the Police Headquarters on Sunday, he also suggested notifying police if anyone’s blog was found to be offensive to religions.
“There will always be free thinkers. I have enough respect for them. But we need to remember that hurting religious sentiments is a crime according to our law.
“Any offender of religious beliefs may get the highest punishment of 14 years (in jail).”
He’s saying atheist bloggers should be reported to the police. Not protected by the police, but reported to them.
Then the Ministers:
Following the press briefing of the Police Chief, a number of government Ministers in a Law and order meeting held at the ministry for home affairs unanimously agreed to arrest anyone writing in a manner that could defame religion.
Not the murderers – the bloggers. Arrest them. Of course if the murderers hack them to death first, there’s no need to arrest them.
WTF. What a deluded fucked up place. I just read another news article that said the police are saying “if you don’t want to be hacked to death, just stop being athiests.” Or some such.
It is a horror. “Offense to religious beliefs.” Gawd.
Sometimes, bravery is barely distinguishable from foolishness.
I confess that, were I Bangladeshi, I would not have the courage to court martyrdom.
(Sometimes, cowardice is barely distinguishable from wisdom)
Strictly, he’s saying one can think whatever they want and he respects that, but that to express what one thinks has consequences. The subtext there could be interpreted as somewhat subversive, given he’s speaking as a functionary.
John Morales
(Sometimes, cowardice is barely distinguishable from wisdom) – See more at: http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2015/arrest-them-all/#sthash.JWUtOk8a.dpuf
I’m very wise then.
He may be speaking as a functionary, but given the circumstances, it’s hard not to interpret it as threat to atheist bloggers. He has the power of the state behind him, and the state is saying you can’t ‘defame’ religion. That seems a category error to me, religion is a set of ideas or worldview, not something that one could defame, but its intent is clear, don’t hurt the fee-fees of those who follow god, as god is pissweak and needs to be defended.
Brian, leaving aside that as a functionary, he represents the state and its power rather than the other way around, that can be read as a warning, rather than an outright threat… which is not insignificant.
Blasphemy laws are intended to sustain the status quo and worshippers’ sentiments, not their deity.
(And, speaking of category errors, you changed “religious sentiments” to ‘religion’)
John, I know you parse things to an extreme, but to me ‘he has the power of the state behind him’ and he represents the state and its power’ are the same thing. I didn’t say the state represents his power which would be the other way around. You phrasing and mine are a distinction without a difference.
You are correct, I said religion and not religious sentiment. It doesn’t alter my point. You can’t defame religious sentiments.
Blasphemy laws are intended to sustain the status quo and worshippers’ sentiments, not their deity. – See more at: http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2015/arrest-them-all/#comment-2601546
True, but my snark was intended at the flimsy pretext. The pretext is by saying something nasty, god in some way is diminished, or his believers feel it diminishes them qua believers. But, if they really held that God was spiffy as they say it is, then really, you’ve got the boss in your corner, and nothing anyone can say matters. It’s like me going up against Mike Tyson in his prime, or standing in the spot a drone has just sent a hellfire missile, except a stupendous order of magnitude greater in asymmetry.