4 Bangladeshi bloggers indicted for blasphemy

[rug]

Monday, September 09, 2013

DHAKA: Four Bangladeshi bloggers are facing up to seven years in jail if proven guilty of defaming Islam and Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), a prosecutor told AFP.

The four men, who deny the charges, were arrested earlier this year in the wake of nationwide protests in which religious groups demanded the execution of atheist online commentators.

Judge Zahirul Haque, sitting in a court in the capital Dhaka, said the bloggers were being charged under the country’s Internet laws, senior public prosecutor Shah Alam Talukdar told AFP. “They have been indicted with defaming Islam, Prophet Mohammed and other religions through their Internet writings. They spread malice against all religions,” he said.

All the four — Subrata Adhikari Shuvo, 24, a master’s student at Dhaka University, Russel Parvez, 36, a teacher at an English-medium school, Mashiur Rahman Biplob, 42, a residence of capital’s Pallabi area, and Asif Mohiuddin, 28, an ex-student of a private university — are now on bail. After framing charges, the judge fixed November 6 to begin the trial in the case.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C09%5C09%5Cstory_9-9-2013_pg14_5

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Too bad god can't take care of himself!

Can't fight his own fights.

Needs his followers to swarm all over someone that dissed him.

Not much of a god, really.

[rug]

2. Well, it's not really about that, is it?

It's about laws made by humans.

[FiveGoodMen]

5. And why do those humans make those laws?

[rug]

6. Assuming you don't believe there is a god, it can't be because of god.

That would be stupid.

It's the same reasons any ruling class passes laws based on division and discrimination. The maintenance and accrual of economic domination.

[FiveGoodMen]

7. Assuming you DO believe there's a god, why can't he do anything about this?

If someone was doing terrible things in my name, I'd want to stop it.

If I had the power of a god, I'd be able to.

[rug]

8. Who said it couldn't?

Personally, I don't worry about what nonexistent beings might or might not do.

I think about what people who have the power to harm might do.

[FiveGoodMen]

9. But we're back to my original point

which was that these people worship an image of a god that has all the power but needs everyone to fight his battles for him.

The cognitive dissonance should be deafening.

[rug]

11. It's an old point that misses the reality of what these laws are about.

The First Amendment was mot written to protect us from a god but to protect us from those in power who would use a concept of god to promote far more mundane concerns.

[FiveGoodMen]

13. Regardless of why the rulers make these laws

people follow them because they think a god wants them to.

If you're about to say, "these laws were backed up with force," then why bother with the god part of it at all?

You still have millions of people punishing each other to defend the honor of their deity (who apparently can't do that for himself).

[rug]

14. You're really attached to this belief.

[cbayer]

3. Are they saying they didn't do the blogging or that their blogging doesn't violate the law?

Your link is broken, btw.

[rug]

4. Thanks, link fixed.

It doesn't state the basis for their defense. Could be a lot of things. Generally, you don't have to give the reason for a not guilty plea. Their trial is in November. We'll know then.

[dimbear]

10. Bangladesh is essentially a suburb of Hell. That being true, is it wise to choose 4 relatively

educated folk and gag and imprison them? Or is that sign at Bangladeshi customs appropriate when it says "Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here?"

[rug]

12. That's a pretty glib way of writing off the home of 150,000,000 people.

[dimbear]

15. You are correct, sir. A home for far more folks than that land can support.

A cautionary tale, just like "The Inferno."