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sinrau · 4 years

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See that pic above? Americans woke up to soldiers and fencing surrounding the White House.

An op-ed in the New York Times calling for the use of domestic military force, aka, soldiers shooting people in the streets. Major cities under curfew. A phalanx of mysterious men in body armour carrying machine guns, only without badges, who wouldn’t respond to questions — like Trump’s new personal secret police. Or maybe SS.

Finally — finally — the general understanding seemed to dawn that this was fascism. Pundits and intellectuals used the word “fascism” for the first time. They were horrified and shocked. The idea seems to be, right about now, that America’s in danger of having a fascist collapse.

Wrong.

What the hell do you think the last four years have been?

There’s not some kind of vague remote danger, or imminent threat, of fascism breaking out in America. What planet have you been living on? The last four years have been America’s collapse into fascism.

The American pundit and intellectual and even well-meaning white liberal are suddenly using the word “fascism,” now, in shock and horror. Now that troops are on white streets. Wait, you mean it wasn’t fascism when brown kids were put…in cages…in camps? What the?

Well-meaning white America is saying suddenly now that soldiers are on its streets, “But Oh My God! This is fascism!” It doesn’t see the shattering hypocrisy, the devastating irony, therein. Do you mean that all of the following weren’t really fascism to you: Camps, cages, bans, raids, purges, violence, hate at minorities emanating from the head of state, institutional dehumanization? What the? Are you serious? It’s the kind of thing that makes literally everyone else in the world at this point gnash their teeth at the American Idiot, and not know whether to laugh or cry maniacally.

America’s had a fascist meltdown. Over the last four years. The next six months are merely the end stages. In which we find out if America goes full-on fascist the whole way, irrevocably, or not. Can that be staved off?

If you really want to know, then is nothing more crucial right about now than not erasing the last four years of history, but really understanding them. How, precisely, they have been grade-school textbook fascism. The real thing. Not a drill. Bona fide, actual fascism. That everyone should have recognized, and most of the world did. Only America didn’t get this point, it seems.

It was always fascism. From day one of the Trump administration. That was the explicit goal and objective. From day one.

Remember how his advisors advanced the ideas of ethnic cleansing and purification? How he began his campaign by calling immigrants and refugees “vermin” and “animals”? Blaming them for the economic woes of the average American, who suddenly found themselves downwardly mobile, poor, and desperate? Trump blamed a certain hated minority — Latinos, mostly, but also blacks and Muslims and Jews — a demagogue scapegoating them for all a nation’s problems, from poverty to social disintegration to hopelessness to a lack of good jobs to crime. Just like Hitler had in the 1930s to Jews, too. Yes, really. Ask your Jewish friends. 99.9% of them will agree.

That was fascism.

Remember when Trump got elected? His first major priority wasn’t to give Americans the healthcare they lacked. The retirement they needed. The raises they hadn’t had in generations. It wasn’t to improve their lives in any way at all, with a better social contract. What was it? To build a wall. And then it was to build a network of concentration camps. Concentration camps.

That was fascism.

Then his advisors had the idea to put kids in cages in those camps, and “separate them” from their families — translation: rip them from their mothers’ arms. In those camps, in those cages, those kids weren’t even allowed to hug each other. They didn’t have adequate food, water, or medicine. International observers classed this as torture, because that is exactly what it was, properly speaking.

That was fascism.

What was the next major priority of the Trump administration? Now that it had its camps, and its first hated minority in them — when would they come for us, the Muslims and Jews and blacks wondered — would Trump finally do something for the “real” American, his base of fanatical whites? Nope. Still, he didn’t give them healthcare, retirement, jobs, education.

What did he do instead? He began to “raid” towns. Have papers checked on public transport. Immigrants and refugees were hunted like desperate things — the “vermin” he and his base thought they were. Some cities proudly called themselves “sanctuaries.” But you don’t need sanctuaries if there aren’t fascists hunting the hated.

That was fascism.

The raids soon enough became just another feature of daily American life. And as they intensified, mass deportations became another priority. Guess what the “forcible removal” of populations is called? Genocide. That came after the first genocide, which was child separation, because taking the kids of one kind of people is a form of genocide, too.

Don’t take my word for it. The last living Nuremberg Prosecutor warned around this time that the Trump Administration was now committing crimes against humanity. Think about that. The man who put…the Nazis…away…warning America was now doing the same category of things they did. He would know. He helped invent the idea, Ben Ferencz, that brave and noble soul.

Do you know who listened to him? Nobody.

To this day, nobody in America’s major media has interviewed…the last living Nuremberg Prosecutor…saying crimes against humanity were happening all over again, this time in America. I think I’m one of a handful of people who wrote about this point at all. What the?

That part was fascism, too. How so?

Well, because it meant that Americans didn’t get what all this really was — who was teaching them any of this? America’s major media, at this point, wasn’t warning that all this was a serious and real fascist collapse. They were warning against saying just that. And then, they were interviewing…neo-Nazis…doing fawning profiles of them. Instead of Ben Ferencz.

What the?

It’s no wonder that the average American was bewildered. This might have felt like fascism. But surely it wasn’t. Nobody said you could call it that! Chris Hayes, Robert Reich, and so on, even the nation’s self-described liberal pundits, didn’t say it. Neither did the political opposition.

There was a word for all this. Denial. America was now a society in denial as deep as an ocean. The Trump administration’s priorities had all been the stuff of textbook fascism: one, demonization, two, camps and raids, three, ethnic cleansing. In magazines and newspapers around the world, questions began to be asked. German ones explicitly began referring to Trump as an aspiring fascist. One put Trump doing a Nazi salute on its cover. Only in America was there any question: no, this couldn’t be fascism, could it?

When the Germans are telling you he’s a fascist, he’s a fascist.

In the 1930s, too, denial had been key to the rise of the Nazis. The good German wouldn’t have believed it if you told him the Nazis were about to murder 6 million Jews. They were doing great things for the Germans! Some Americans will object to that parallel. Nonetheless, denial played a key role in the rise of American fascism, too.

No major institution in America admitted it was now having a fascist collapse: media, intellectuals, opposition, or the people themselves. Those who thought it couldn’t say it, and those who hadn’t been educated to think it, who’d been cautioned away from it, by the failure of America’s intellectuals and media, genuinely appeared to have no clue.

That was fascism, too. The atmosphere of denial as deep as an ocean, that America was now drowning in. Life went on as usual.

Why do we warn of fascism? Remember that old quote? “First they came for this hated minority, then they came for that hated minority, and finally they came for me?” We warn of fascism to prevent it’s slippery slope, it’s ruinous decline, it’s shattering spiral of self-destruction.

White Americans didn’t get it. Fascism was coming for them, too. But as hard as anyone tried to teach them that — they seemed incapable of listening. Sure, maybe you did. But there was no widespread understanding in America whatsoever that it was having a fascist collapse.

So America took an even more dangerous step.

Trump was impeached. For what? For camps? Purges? Raids? Bans? Hate? Genocide? Nope. For offering…a bribe. So the man who the last living Nuremberg Prosecutor said was committing crimes against humanity was impeached for…a bribe…not for crimes against humanity. What the?

The Democrats impeached Trump. For the wrong thing, not the right thing. They gave all that fascism a free pass, legitimized it by turning a blind eye, showed that no justice could be had for it. That is why impeachment had no effect on Trump’s fortunes. It didn’t matter because, well, it didn’t matter. And they did that calculatedly. “We can’t impeach him for that, because, well, there’s no fascism here! There can’t be!”

That’s called appeasement. And it’s another key step in any fascist collapse. Because a demagogue is a bully, and when he knows he can get away with abusing a whole society, that is exactly what he’ll go on doing.

At this point, any decent observer of fascism could have predicted: now it’s going to be white America’s turn.

Today, it is.

Soldiers surround the White House. The President calls for Americans to be shot on the streets. His party supports him. That phalanx of secret police guards the demagogue, accountable to no one but him.

Suddenly, white America’s crying — now that it’s on their doorstep — “but this is fascism!”

Hello. It was always fascism. From the day of the camps, raids, bans, purges, cages. From the denial, through the appeasement, to the complicity.

Remember the old quote? In America, it goes like this. “First, they came for the Mexicans, and I did nothing. Then, they came for the Latinos, and I did nothing. Then they came for the Muslims, and I did nothing. Then they came for me.”

White America’s figured out that it’s fascism…too late. Far too late.

How does a nation grow this ignorant? Didn’t they teach white Americans in grade school — like they taught the rest of us — that camps, bans, raids, purges, hate, are what fascism is?

That when a head of state says that hated minorities are “animals” and “vermin”…and acts upon it…that’s fascism?

How can white America be this selfish? This blind?

I have never — ever — seen another country like it. Never. And neither has the world.

The American Idiot has become a figure of global renown precisely because the world is shocked and horrified that Americans didn’t know fascism when it was literally putting kids in cages before their very eyes. What the? No wonder everyone I meet that’s not American laughs at Americans for being hopelessly foolish now.

That is hopelessly foolish. It’s blindingly idiotic. They teach us what fascism is in grade school — all of us, everywhere around the globe — for a reason.

So we can see it coming, before it’s too late.

America didn’t.

America’s not on the brink of a fascist collapse. It’s not in danger of having one. The last four years have been one. During those four years, a demagogue and his army of American Idiots built all the nascent institutions of a fascist society — camps, bans, raids, purges, and so forth. All that is now just everyday American life. And everyday American life now feels so scary, horrifying, brutal, violent, and dystopian precisely because Americans are living in a fascist society.

Only the final steps of fascist collapse are now left to take. A demagogue seizing power for life, declaring martial law, calling a state of emergency, postponing elections, cancelling them. Who’s going to stop him? Why do you think that phalanx of men in body armor who nobody can recognize or account for is there?

Only the final steps now remain. The final seizure of power.

Then the transformation of a society is complete. What do you think will happen if Trump isn’t removed from power by November? Do you think another four years will end in anything but even more tragedy? Do you think that there would be another election after that? Do you think America as we know it would survive?

Don’t kid yourself. Wake up. Wise up. Open your goddamned eyes.

The last four years were America’s fascist collapse. This is just what finishes the job.

Americans, like so many before them, didn’t get it, until it was too late, even while the alarms were blaring in their very eyes, their house was burning down, and the smoke was in their nostrils. Nope, no fascism here! Those kids in cages? Those towns being raided? That President scapegoating whole minorities and banning them? That’s not fascism? No wonder they came for you in the end, too, finally, occupying your streets. Who was left, after the Latino, Mexican, Muslim, black, Jew, but the well-meaning, oblivious white American? The last one still in denial?

It was always fascism.

That, my friends, is why, and how, history repeats itself. Through cowardice, through folly, through ignorance, but most of all, through blindness, deafness, and silence.

Umair June 2020

#IFTTT #WordPress

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shipwrexked · 7 years

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You’re technically speaking German.

me and my siblings used to tease my German mother MERCILESSLY about her pronunciation of certain American words. Words like Home Depot, she always pronounced the t at the end calling it Home De-Pot. Or when she would get some slang backwards and it never, not once, dawned us that this might be hurtful to her. She always laughed about it and just said “yeah well without German there were would be no English”. As kids we were like “yeah ok mom sure whatever”, because English and German do not sound alike. Oh there are some similarities but on the whole German is a very guttural language and hard to pronounce. So what did my mom mean by the whole “Without German there would be no English?” well as it turns out that whole Germans conquering the world thing, yeah that happened. Just not in the way you and I imagined it would.

Picture this: The Roman Empire is in the decline. Peeps just aren’t happy with that whole Pax Romana and slavery thing. Especially the slavery thing. The Ceasars are a corrupt bunch of sodomites and the conquered people have just really had it up to their painted and plucked eyebrows with the Senate when the Romans decide “yo that swatch of forest up north looks like an awesome place to conquer next”.

Romans weren’t stupid by any means, they were some of the most enlightened people of that time (course they stole most of it from the Greeks after they conquered them but hey spoils of war and all that)so it’s not like they went into that geography blind. You can bet they did their homework and they thought they knew their enemy well. Just one problem. At this time in history between 113 BC and 596 AD Germany wasn’t actually called Germany and the people that lived there were an assemblage of Germanic tribes. They weren’t cohesive as a country but rather territorial and brutal in protecting their territory. This wasn’t going to be like taking over Greece, or Egypt or any one of the other more “civilized” cultures because you essentially had to wage war with each and every tribe and they practiced guerrilla warfare. The Germanic tribes that existed during this time are said to have been some of the most feared, and intimidating people; even the women would kill you and you couldn’t trust the children either. There’s a lot of bloodshed going on during the 2nd century AD. First by the Romans, followed by the Germanic tribes Goths, Vandals, Franks, and the Saxons, then followed by the Huns. You know the Huns, those lovable people where pushed out of China and then went on a killing rampage across the whole of the known world at that time. Yeah those people forced the above Germanic tribes to seek safety in Roman occupied territory. If this is all starting to sound familiar to you it’s because this is happening right now in the Middle East.

So first the Romans try to conquer them but that doesn’t work so they establish their Roman Border and they succeed in halting them at the northern borders. Then the Huns come sweeping west from Russia and further push them to seek shelter with the Romans in an effort to escape the Huns. But you remember some of those tribes I listed up above? The really important Germanic tribes? You know the Goths, Vandals, Franks, and Saxons. Well if you have even a passing knowledge of European History you probably recognize those names. Like say the Franks, who settled in what is now called France, and yes it was the Franks that named it. Also the Saxons whose name you may find familiar since it’s one of the first ethnic classifications to appear on a census report: Anglo/Saxon. The Angles and the Saxons invaded Britain in the 5th to 6th Centuries AD. This was a true invasion, one could even say it was the precursor to Hitler’s own master race as the Anglo Saxons literally ripped through Britain in a genocidal or “Ethnic Cleansing” of the island to lay claim to it as their own hence the name ENGLAND and the language ENGLISH are all derived from the root Angle or originally Angland. So it looks like my mom was right to gloat over her people’s language and is it any wonder why they went on to start TWO WORLD WARS. Though Hitler WAS Austrian not German..but as you’ve now learned the Germans quietly, and sometimes bloodily infiltrated and took over most of Europe and Britain. So you know those Austrians were also of Germanic descent.

For my Throne of Glass fandom and friends we also have the Mercians another faction of invaders that would later lay claim to one of Englands most prodigious kingdoms and usher in a period of peace, prosperity, and learning. Could this be where SJ Maas derived the name and characteristics of the Mercian peoples in Throne of Glass? I don’t know but it’s interesting isn’t.

Now of course it’s all a lot more complicated than I’ve laid out here..that’s human history for you we never like anything to be simple.

@graymalkyn because I know you said you liked history so here’s some linguistic history for you.

@propshophannah, @crochanblackbeak, @teamfeyre, @senselessnope, @paperbacktrash

#linguistics #isn't history fun #you're all speaking german #welcome to the new? old? world order.

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political-affairs · 11 years

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Ghulam Azam

Ghulam Azam (Bengali: গোলাম আযম; born. 7 November 1922) is a retired Bangladeshi Islamist political leader, and an alleged war criminal of the Bangladesh liberation war.[1][2] He was the Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh until 2000.[3] Azam opposed the independence of Bangladesh during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.[4][5]

As a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, he was a part of the controversial Peace or Shanti Committees which were formed at the time of the Liberation War alongside other pro-Pakistan Bengali leaders.[6] Azam is accused of forming paramilitary groups for the Pakistani Army, including Razakars, and Al-Badr.[7] These militias opposed the Mukti Bahini revolutionaries who fought for the independence of Bangladesh, and also stand accused of war crimes.[6][8][9][10] However, according to his Defence counsel, as a civilian he played no commanding role within the army and had no superior or command responsibility for any military groups.[11] Azam’s citizenship of Bangladesh had been cancelled by the Bangladeshi Government because of his subversive role during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[12] He lived in Bangladesh illegally without any authorized Bangladeshi visa from 1978 to 1994.[13][14]

Former caretaker government adviser, human rights activist and witness for the prosecution Sultana Kamal said- "In brutality, Ghulam Azam is synonymous with German ruler Hitler who had influential role in implementation and execution of genocide and ethnic cleansing".[15] In response to this statement the defense cousel pointed out that the comparison was a fallacy and 'fake with malicious intention' as Hitler held state power, which Ghulam Azam did not and that in 1971 General Tikka Khan and Yahya Khan held state power.[16]

On 11 January 2012, he was arrested on charges of committing war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War by the International Crimes Tribunal.[17][18] The tribunal rejected the plea of bail after noting that there were formal charges against Azam of which it had taken cognisance.[19][20][21][22]

Personal life

Background

Ghulam Azam was born in 7 November 1922 in Dhaka. His father was Golam Kabir and mother Sayeda Ashrafunnisa. He attended a Madrasa in his village of Birgaon (Comilla district) and completed his secondary school education in Dhaka. He went on to complete BA and MA degrees in Political Science at Dhaka University.[23]

Career

Role in Jamaat-e-Islaami

In 1954, Azam became influenced by the ideas of Syed Abul Ala Maududi. On 22 April 1954 he Joined to Jamaat-e-islami and drew end line to his involvement in Tableague-i-Jamat. He soon rose through the ranks of the party and became the General Secretary of Jamaat-i-Islaami in East Pakistan in 1957. In 1964, the Ayub Khan regime banned Jamaat-i-Islaami due to radical religious activities and Azam was arrested. He was kept in detention for eight months. In 1969, he became the Ameer (president) of the Jamaat in East Pakistan, a position he was going to keep until the 1971 Liberation war was over. He was also a participant in the formation of the Pakistan Democratic Alliance in 1967.[23] He was the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh until 2000.[24]

Bangladesh Liberation War

The 1970 elections

Together with leaders of a number of other parties in East Pakistan (including the Pakistan Democratic Party, National Awami Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and the Pakistan National League), Ghulam Azam protested at the Awami League approach to electioneering for the 1970 general elections in Pakistan, accusing them of breaking up public meetings, physical attacks on political opponents and the looting and destruction of party offices.[25] During 1970, while Azam was the head of Jamaat-i-Islami, a number of political rallies, including rallies of Jamaat-i-Islaami, were attacked by armed mobs alleged to be incited by the Awami League.[26][27]

Activities during 1971 War

During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Ghulam Azam took a political stance in support of unified Pakistan,[28] and repeatedly denounced Awami League and Mukti Bahini secessionists,[29] whose declared aim after 26 March 1971 became the establishment of an independent state of Bangladesh in place of East Pakistan. Excerpts from Azam's speeches after 25 March 1971 used to be published in the spokespaper of Jamaat named The Daily Sangram. On 20 June 1971, Azam reaffirmed his support for the Pakistani army by stating that 'the army has eradicated nearly all criminals of East Pakistan'.[29]

During the war of 1971, it is alleged that Azam played a central role in the formation of Peace Committees on 11 April 1971, which declared the independence movement to be a conspiracy hatched by India.[6][30] It is also alleged that Azam was one of the founding members of this organization.[6] The Peace Committee members were drawn from Azam's Jamaat-e-Islami, the Muslim League and Biharis.[31] The Peace Committee served as a front for the army, informing on the civil administration as well as the general public. They were also in charge of confiscating and redistribution of shops and lands from Hindu and pro-independence Bengalis, mainly relatives and friends of Mukti Bahini fighters. Almost 10 million Bangladeshis fled to neighboring India as refugees. The Shanti Committee has also been alleged to have recruited Razakars.[7] The first recruits included 96 Jamaat party members, who started training in an Ansar camp at Shahjahan Ali Road, Khulna.[32][33] During Azam's leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami, Ashraf Hossain, a leader of Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha, created the Al-Badr militia in Jamalpur District on 22 April 1971.[34] On April 12, 1971, Azam and Matiur Rahman Nizami led demonstrations denouncing the independence movement as an Indian conspiracy.[35]

During the war Azam traveled the then West Pakistan to consult the Pakistani leaders.[36] Azam declared that his party (Jamaat) is trying its best to curb the activities of pro-independence "Miscreants".[37] Azam took part in meetings with General Yahiya Khan, the military dictator of Pakistan, and other military leaders, to organize the campaign against Bangladeshi independence.[36]

On August 12, 1971, Azam declared in a statement published in the Daily Sangram that "the supporters of the so-called Bangladesh Movement are the enemies of Islam, Pakistan, and Muslims".[38] He also called for an all out war against India.[39]

Azam is also alleged to be the chief protagonist and to present the blueprint of the killing of the intellectuals in a meeting with Rao Forman Ali in Early September 1971.[40] In accordance with this blue print, the largest number of Bengali intellectuals assassinations performed by Pakistani Army and the local collaborators, on December 14, 1971.

Allegations

On June 20, 1971, Azam declared in Lahore that the Hindu minority in East Pakistan, under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, are conspiring to secede from Pakistan.[41] On August 12, 1971, Azam declared in a statement published in the Daily Sangram that "the supporters of the so-called Bangladesh Movement are the enemies of Islam, Pakistan, and Muslims".[42] For his part, Azam denies all such accusation and challenges that proof be brought forward to justify them.[43] However, he later admitted that he was on the list of collaborators of the Pakistani army, but denied he was a war criminal.[30]

The military junta of Yahya Khan decided to call an election in an attempt to legitimise themselves. On October 12, 1971 Yahya Khan declared that an election will be held from November 25 to December 9. Ghulam Azam decided to take part in this election. On October 15, the Pakistani government suddenly declared that 15 candidates were elected without any competition. According to the declaration of November 2 as many as 53 candidates were elected without any competition.[44] In this election Jamaat won 14 of the uncontested seats.[45]

A human rights worker Sultana Kamal said- "In brutality, Ghulam Azam is synonymous with German ruler Hitler who had influential role in implementation and execution of genocide and ethnic cleansing".[15] Prosecutor of ICT Zead-Al-Malum said- “He was the one making all the decisions, why would he need to be on any committee? Being Hitler was enough for Hitler in World War II.”[46]

However, New York Times reported in 1992 that Azam left East Pakistan in 1970 due to his opposition to the independence movement.[47]

Anti-Bangladesh Lobbying after 1971

After the victory of the Joint forces of the Indian Army and Mukti Bahini over Pakistan on 16 December 1971 a new nation named Bangladesh was born. Azam continued his anti-Bangladesh and pro-Pakistan activities even after 1971. He tried to convince many political leaders of Middle-East and Pakistan not to support the new born nation. A complete description of these lobbies are found in the writings of Dhaka University Professor Anisuzzaman.[13] Mr. Anisuzzaman submitted all the allegations against Golam Azam to the People's Court in 1992. People's Court was established as a mass movement to try war criminals and anti-independence activists by Jahanara Imam and others. Jahanara Imam held this unprecedented Peoples' Court as a symbolic trial of Ghulam Azam where thousands of people gathered and the court gave verdict that Azam's offences committed during the Liberation War deserve capital punishment.[48]

According to Prothom Alo, three intellectuals submitted allegations of war crimes against Ghulam Azam. The activities regarading Bengali culture were submitted by Syed Shamsul Huq, alleged war crimes during 1971 were detailed by Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir and his pro-Pakistan lobbying after 1971 was detailed by Anisuzzaman.[13] Notable pro-Pakistan lobbying of Ghulam Azam after 1971 are as follows:[13]

After the liberation of Bangladesh Azam, staying in Pakistan, created an organization named Purbo Pakistan Punoruddhar Committee (East Pakistan Revival Committee) along with anti-Bangladesh activists like Mahmud Ali. Azam tried to strengthen the international movement to re-establish East Pakistan. Accordingly he kept claiming himself as the Ameer of East Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami many years after the elimination of East Pakistan.

In 1972, Azam formed Purbo Pakistan Punoruddhar Committee in London and conspired with others to replace Bangladesh with East Pakistan. In 1973, he lectured against Bangladesh in the annual conference of Federation of Students' Islamic Societies held in Manchester and conference of UK Islamic Commission held in Lester. In 1974, he arranged a meeting of Purbo Pakistan Punoruddhar Committee with Pakistanis like Mahmud Ali. As they had already failed to establish a Pakistan within Bangladesh, they decided to lead their movement towards the formation of a confederation combining Bangladesh and Pakistan. In this meeting Azam explained the necessity of working for the movement within Bangladesh though it was a bit risky then. In, 1977 in a meeting held in the Holy Trinity Church College, Azam expressed it again. He came to Bangladesh in 1978 with a Pakistani passport and Bangladeshi visa only to make his dream of Pakistan-Bangladesh confederation come true.

Ghulam Azam participated in the International Islamic Youth Conference held in Riyad in 1972 and begged the help of all Muslim countries to re-establish East Pakistan. From 1973 to 1976 he met Saudi King seven times and asked him not to acknowledge Bangladesh and never to help this country by any means. He lectured against Bangladesh again in the international conference arranged by Rabeta-e-Alam Al-Islami in Mecca in 1974 and at King Abdul Aziz University in 1977.

Azam lobbyied against the acknowledgment of new born Bangladesh in the conference of Foreign ministers of the Muslim countries held in Bengazi in 1973. In the same year he lectured in the Islamic Youth Conference held in Tripoli which was clearly against the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.

In 1973 Ghulam Azam urged everybody to participate in the movement of combining Bangladesh with Pakistan in the annual conference of Muslim Students' Association of America and Canada held at Michigan State University.

Azam lectured against Bangladesh again in 1977, in the international conference of Islamic Federation of Students' Organizations held at Istanbul.[13]

Rehabilitation in independent Bangladesh

In 1978 Azam returned to Bangladesh on a temporary visa with a Pakistani passport.[citation needed] But he had been living in Bangladesh from 1978 to 1994 as a Pakistani national without any valid visa to stay in Bangladesh, refusing to leave a country he considered his home by birth-right.[13][14]

Ghulam Azam announced his retirement from active politics in late 2000. He was succeeded by Motiur Rahman Nizami.[3]

Arrest and incarceration

On 11 January 2012, Ghulam Azam was arrested on charges of committing crimes against humanity and peace, genocide and war crimes in 1971 by the International Crimes Tribunal. His petition for bail was rejected by the ICT, and he was sent to Dhaka Central Jail. However, after three hours he was sent to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital for a medical check-up due to his old age. According to the Daily Star, Azam was allowed to remain in a hospital prison cell despite being declared fit for trial by a medical team on 15 January.[49][50] The same paper later acknowledged that he had been placed there due to his "ailing condition".[51]

Azam's health has deteriorated rapidly since being imprisoned.[52] His wife, Syeda Afifa Azam was reported in several newspapers as being shocked at his treatment, stating that he has become very weak and has lost 3 kilograms in a month due to malnutrition.[29] She described his treatment as "a gross violation of human rights" even though he was kept in a hospital prison cell.[53][54]

Azam's wife complains about him being denied proper family visits and access to books, saying that this amounted to "mental torture".[55] The Daily Star reported that Azam's wife and his counsels were allowed to meet him on 18 February.[56] On 25 February 2012, The Daily Star reported that Azam's nephew was denied a visit at the last minute just as he was about to enter the hospital prison room. This is despite the application for the visit being initially approved.[57]

Islamic activists from different countries expressed their concern for Mr. Azam. The International Union of Muslim Scholars, chaired by Yusuf al-Qaradawi called the arrest "disgraceful", and called on the Bangladesh government to release him immediately, stating that "the charge of Professor Ghulam Azam and his fellow scholars and Islamic activists of committing war crimes more than forty years ago is irrational and cannot be accepted".[58]

The judicial process under which Azam is on trial has been criticised by international organisations such as the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.[59][60][61] So far, the ICT has sentenced two of the accused to death and has given a life sentence to another.

The International war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh will deliver its verdict in the trial of Ghulam Azam on 15th July, 2013.[62]

#Tikka Khan #Sultana Kamal #Pakistan #Jamaat-e-Islami #International Crimes Tribunal #Ghulam Azam #Bangladesh Liberation War #Bangladesh

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