9/11 victims: lest we forget

Lt. Gregg Arthur Atlas (44) was a talented and an excellent Fireman in Ladder 34. He was a friendly person with a smile on his face and spontaneously spelled out practical jokes to take the pressure off of a serious moment.

His company was the first unit to respond the call on the 9/11/2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York and Gregg was probably the first FDNY officer to enter the Twin Towers. Although troubled by the age, he did not back down to save thousands of people (a victim remembers).

Gregg was one of the many firefighters who valiantly gave their lives in the line of duty, to rescue the innocent people in the World Trade Center. Yes, innocent, read again if you must, if you are an apologist of the 9/11 atrocities against the humanity. Two Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety Six innocent lives, of many nations, religions and races could not make it to the ground alive, but their spirits still live inside the freedom loving people, who now know the enemy, shrewd enough to make a religion their alibi of madness. They are the enemy of the mankind; there should be no doubt about that.

Nurul Haq Miah and Shakila Yasmin was a Bangladeshi Muslim couple who used to work in the world trade center and was among the unfortunate ones. Nurul was in the 99th floor, attending a meeting when the 1st plane hit their office. Nurul used to work for Marsh & McLennan for about 15 years. Shakila's office was located in the 97th floor, just below. Shakila just started about one year ago six months after they got married on April 2, 2000. (More info)

USA honored them this year by renaming the southeast corner of the 3rd Avenue and Ovington Avenue of Ney York after Shakila Yasmin and Nurul Haque Miah, two Bangladeshi victims of the 9/11.

There are more Bangladeshi victims who died inside the planes which crashed in the world trade center and elsewhere. Syed Muazzem Ali pays his tribute to the six Bangladeshi-Americans who died on 9/11 in the Daily Star.

If you want to know about more of the 2996 victims please look at the pages of bloggers remembering the victims.

In has been five years since that horrible day. Today people talk of the "hypocritical" US policy toward the Middle East that talks democracy but supports authoritarian regimes like Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. President Bush's "Axis of Evil" states (Iran, Iraq, and North Korea) have emerged more powerful, belligerent, and greater threats. Abhi of Sepia Mutiny writes in a touching post:

Five years later can it be said that anyone (even our closest allies) really "hears us?" Can it be said that America is admired for how it responded in the years following the attacks? Does anyone feel safer? I am disappointed because we have not honored the memories of those who perished by living up to the examples that they set for us. Sacrifice and inner strength and not blind fury or angry words were the weapons that Americans used on that day.

"In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich."

tags:
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9/11
September 11
World Trade Center
Nurul Haq Miah
Shakila Yasmin
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South Asia Blog Buzz

(Cross posted in the Global Voices Online)

The latest from the South Asian blogs:

Bangladesh:

- Rajputro writes a satirical piece on how the load shedding (power cuts to manage shortage in electricity supply) in Bangladesh can be counterproductive.

- Shafiur of imperfect|world|2006 is amused with the political dramas set out in Bangladesh as a form of protest.

- Drishtipat has an interesting prediction for the Bangladesh parliament election 2007.

India:

- Blogcamp, India’s biggest blogging conference has started today. There are about 50 active blogger volunteers. Catch up all the actions at Flickr, Technorati and YouTube by typing in the tag ‘blogcamp’.

- The recent 9/8 Malegaon bomb blasts are the continuation of the terror that gripped India with a goal to disrupt the communal harmony. This time the victims were Muslims and the general Indians stand disgraced by all this. Mayank Austen Soofi writes in Desicritics about the story behind the 8/9 terror attacks. Siddhartha of Sepia Mutiny provides more background of Malegaon.

- Preetam Rai of Betterdays reports that the Bollywood fever is taking on China.

Nepal:

- Samudaya.org reports that Nepal invents a new product, herbal wine.

- Blogdai comments that the Maoist ceasefire call is fake as it tries to document the ceasefire violations.

- Paramendra Bhagat of Democracy for Nepal welcomes the planned peaceful protests By the Maoists.

Pakistan:

- Eteraj informs that the women’s protection bill of Pakistan to reform the notorious rape laws of Pakistan is about to be passed this Monday. The laws from 1979 require that for a woman to make an allegation of rape she must produce four male witnesses. If she is unable to put forth the witnesses she herself is liable for adultery (and can be imprisoned or put to death for adultery).

- All things Pakistan reports that Mukhtaran Mai, a famous name against repression of women, has started a blog.

Sri Lanka:

- Rant and Raves discusses the brain drain problem in Sri Lanka.

- Lanka Libertarian analyses the situation after the return of the refugees in the coastal town Muttur, who fled the fierce battle in July.

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Table of Free Voices

Bebelplatz, a square in Berlin, near to state opera and the Humboldt University buildings has an infamous past. Seventy Three years ago (1933) Nazi youths instigated by their Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels burned around 20,000 books, including works by Thomas Mann, Erich Maria Remarque, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx and many other authors.

Today on September 9, 2006, Bebelplatz is redeemed of the infamy of above crime. Dropping Knowledge, a Berlin based NGO invited 112 scientists, social entrepreneurs, philosophers, writers, artists and activists from around the world. These inspiring individuals, renowned for their lasting creative, social or humanistic contribution seated around a vast round-table called the 'Table of Free Voices' in that historical square. From 9 AM to 6 PM they engaged with answering 100 questions selected from the 'donate your question campaign' open to the global public.


Treehugger reports:

Hafsat Abiola and Willem Dafoe made their opening remarks against the backdrop of Humboldt University and an oversized pile of books, supposed to represent the invention of the printing press but suggesting also the greatness of the human mind and the tragedy of suppressing human creativity. Yungchen Lhamo put the participants into the proper spirit with a poem and song, in a Tibetan devotional style which she learned from her Grandmother in secret, since such songs were banned in her native land. The exotic melody silenced all present and received a round of applause before the real work kicked off...100 questions in 9 hours.

Each of the 112 personalities invited to the Table is set up with a microphone and video camera of their own.

Read the rest. More news at the Deutsche Welle.

You can see the live videos here.

Now what will happen? Dropping knowledge says this is only the beginning. It wants to start and sustain a new kind of global dialog, simply by prompting people online to ask and answer the questions on their mind. They want to bring protest, political dissent and activism into the internet age.

In this complex world, people need the right to question. German insurance giant Allianz donated more than $3 million for this initiative and is not immuned to face the question:

Why has a big company like Allianz no sozial responsibility and fire 10.000 workers in Germany even they have big profit?

On a side note, Bibi Russel was the lone Bangladeshi amongst all the 112 dignitaries.

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Picture of the day

One of the many ships that carry tourists across Berlin's waterways providing wonderful scenery.

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TODAY'S LINKS

* Controversial cartoons sparked train bomb plot.

* Islamic Evil: defining the enemy.

* Radicalising Europe's young Muslims.

* Bangladeshis in the Middle East.

* Gender: Free online journalism training.

* Who killed the newspaper?

* What Really Is Scientology? The truth behind the mysterious religion.

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Bangladesh Blog Buzz

(Crossposted in the Global Voices Online)

The latest opinions and views from the Bangladeshi blogs:

* Refugees: Drishtipat discusses the plight of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as the International community is not taking notice. Rohingyas are Barmese Muslims from Arakan fled to Bangladesh to escape military persecution in Myanmar.

* Gender Equity: Sonia discusses a flaw in the Bangladesh constitution which deters a Bangladeshi women to transmit her nationality to her spouse or children.

* Energy: The recent Asia Energy coal mining controversy in Phulbari, Bangladesh and the people’s uprising leaves a lot to ponder. Conversations with an Optimist argues that people’s power is not always right as it may lead to disastrous consequences for the country. Drishtipat urges everybody to talk less politics and more science reagrding this issue.

* Human rights: Journalist Tasneem Khalil discusses the human rights abuses of Bangladesh’s elite force commando RAB, which overshadows the country’s security forces’ laudable performance in the UN peace keeping missions. More ironical is that some RAB members are being selected for UN peace keeping missions.

* Censoring: Tasneem Khalil informs that the Curators of a British museum are role playing as bigot mullahs, as they have censored a documentary work made in Bangladesh by Syra Miah — Bangladeshi-British photographer from the museum’s Art and Islam exhibition on the charge that it contained an image of a semi-naked woman.

* Politics: Nazim Farhan Chowdhury of Conversations With An Optimist blog predicts the decrease in support of the ruling BNP among the Bangladeshis because of their failures. Salaam Dhaka confirms that analogy from a diaspora viewpoint.

* International relations: Razib Rashedin of Me, Myself and Bangladesh criticizes certain Indian politician’s propaganda that places in Bangladesh should be attacked where the terrorist centers against India are operating. He claims that these accusations are false and there are many insurgencies in north-eastern India that feed on local discontent due to the neglect of the federal government to their needs and from pure separatist impulses. Therefore, it does not require a neighbouring country to instigate troubles in India.

* Culture: The corruption in Bangladesh is becoming ubiquitous. However Salam Dhaka realizes that sometimes bribes can also do good to the society.

* Review: Deshcalling posts a review of an insightful book titled ‘The India Doctrine’ published by the Bangladesh Research Forum and edited by Barrister MBI Munshi. The book is a collection of articles by writers from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka providing insight into controversial issues in this region and the role of India.

* Paintings: Artist Sumaiya Mehreen shares her paintings in her digital portfolio blog.

* Cyber society: Somewherein Dhaka is an increasingly popular user-friendly, informative and interactive events site from Bangladesh. It lets the users know all about the art, culture, sports and lifestyle events happening in Dhaka (what, when and where) and let the users to comment on or review the items. This is turning out to be an useful social networking tool.

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Today's Links

* Muslims must come forward.

* Letter From Bangladesh: Where family ties still tightly bind.

* The trial of Henry Kissinger.

* Pregnant man carries a twin-brother.

* Bangabhoomi andolan , Bangasena and Indian citizenship Act.

* Balochistan is far from Bangladesh.

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