Bangladesh "Victory Day" of 16th December
By Showkat Ali
Al-Jazeerah, December 4, 2006
On the 16th of December millions of people in Bangladesh and Bangladeshis around the world will celebrate Victory day. On this day in 1971, the Pakistani army surrendered to the Indo-Bangladeshi High Command in Dhaka, ending a 9 month war of independence. Pakistani General AAK Niazi surrendered officially to the Allied forces commander General Arora.
Bangladesh gained independence after 9 months of a long and bloody struggle. India also commemorates victory over Pakistan on the same day in 1971 on Vijay Diwas.
I as a Muslim, born in Britain whose parents are from Bangladesh do not celebrate this day nor regard it as a day of victory. How can their be victory and celebration when one Muslim country is divided and separated into 2 parts?
Nationalism divides Muslims and keeps us weak while unity and regulation of society based upon Islam unites and strengthens us.
InshAllah Pakistan will be re-unified again soon and millions of us East Pakistani Muslims make dua and work for unity again based upon the teachings of Islam and nothing else.
Below is a poem which I wrote to mark this sad anniversary which I hope will inshAllah be the last.
I am East Pakistan
Created in 1947
Torn from mother India
And divided from my brother
West Pakistan
By several thousand miles of hostile territory
Land which was once ours
Under the glorious Islamic rule
Taken away by western powers
Who looted and polluted
All of our resources and way of life and values
When we woke up and challenged their injustice
They responded with barbarism
But Allah was with us
And they fled and sailed away
With only a token force remaining
Leaving behind a trail of destruction
And religions at each others throats.
Divide and conquer
Their contribution to humanity
And greatest achievement
A great continent once ruled by Islam
Where it didn’t matter
What religion or no religion you followed
Coz u were a citizen of the Islamic state
An example of multiculturalism
Never witnessed since
They divided a great country into two but created three separate parts
Millions died
But to them it didn’t matter
They saw us as uncivilised animals
And no one sheds tears when dogs die.
East and West Pakistan was soon born
But only to be torn
In 1971
Based on regionalism, nationalism, discrimination and exploitation
They had planted the seeds of division as a solution in 47
Brother hated brother
One brother sought help from the Hindus
And they were happy to contribute to the bloodshed
The victors celebrated
But both sides lost the pleasure of Allah
Insulting a Muslim is a sin
And killing a Muslim is disbelief
Since 71
Bangladesh has achieved notoriety and fame
The worlds most corrupt country
Several years in a row
Politically subservient to USA and India
Instead of being looted by the elites in West Pakistan
Now being bankrupted by those in Dhaka
Same sad story in Pakistan
The faces may change
But the corruption remains
How the heart aches
And regrets the mistake of division
Brother divided from brother
Since 71
Yearning for unity
Not based on superiority of regionalism or caste
But one based on Islam and piety
Forget the slogans of Joi Bangla and Pakistan zindabad
And embrace the slogans of Allahu Akbar, Khilafat, Khilafat
Author:Showkotali@hotmail.com
from
http://aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20edi...wkat%20Ali.htm