Bangladesh arrests three atheist bloggers

[rug]

By AFP
Published: April 2, 2013

DHAKA: Bangladesh police have arrested three atheist bloggers for allegedly defaming Islam and the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), police said Tuesday, amid calls from religious fundamentalists for an Internet crackdown.

The arrest of the three, who were paraded in handcuffs at a news conference, followed pressure from Islamic groups who have organised a march from all over the country to the capital to demand the death penalty for atheist bloggers.

“They have hurt the religious feelings of the people by writing against different religions and their prophets and founders including the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh),” said deputy commissioner of Dhaka police, Molla Nazrul Islam.

The three could face 10 years in jail if convicted under the country’s cyber laws which outlaw “defaming” a religion, Islam said.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/530041/bangladesh-arrests-three-atheist-bloggers

If I find their names, I'll post them.

[DavidDvorkin]

1. This illustrates why it's vital

to fight against the removal of even the smallest brick in Jefferson's Wall.

[rug]

2. I don't particularly disagree but in this case, tearing down the wall they're being put up against

is a lot more urgent.

[cbayer]

4. Agree.

[skepticscott]

3. Poor folk

have had their feewings hurt, and have been conditioned by their religion to regard this as a horrible crime, warranting violence and punishment in response. Does anything but religion inspire such victimhood and insecurity?

[gcomeau]

6. Well,

...certain political ideologies involving tea and parties comes to mind.

[skepticscott]

7. You may have a point

Though they usually complain about having more than their feelings hurt...

[rug]

8. If you think being paraded around in handcuffs is the result of hurt feelings,

you're missing something.

[skepticscott]

10. Quote

“They have hurt the religious feelings of the people by writing against different religions and their prophets and founders including the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh),” said deputy commissioner of Dhaka police, Molla Nazrul Islam. Do you have a better justification for it than someone directly involved?

Call it hurt feelings, call it offense, call it whatever. When you boil it down, that's all blasphemy laws are about. And blasphemy laws go much further than simply parading people through the streets, as do the sentiments of religious people who have had their feewings hurt (as attested to in the very article you quoted)

[rug]

11. Yes I do.

The arrests came as Bangladesh has been hit by violent protests over a war crimes tribunal which is trying leading people who opposed the country’s independence from Pakistan during the 1971 liberation war.

Protests encouraged by secular bloggers have seen hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets demanding the execution of leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, the country’s largest Islamic party and key opposition.

Islamic groups have in turn held demonstrations demanding the trials be halted and have also begun targeting bloggers.

The government has blocked about a dozen websites and blogs to stem the unrest. It also set up a panel, which included intelligence chiefs, to snoop for blasphemy in the social media.

Also from that article.

[skepticscott]

12. And the police official

justifying parading these people through the streets this didn't see fit to use ANY of this as a justification? Strange, don't you think? He seemed to think it was all about blasphemy.

Bangladesh police have arrested three atheist bloggers for allegedly defaming Islam and the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), police said Tuesday, amid calls from religious fundamentalists for an Internet crackdown.

The three could face 10 years in jail if convicted under the country’s cyber laws which outlaw “defaming” a religion, Islam said.

This is about blasphemy, pure and simple, as your own source emphasizes over and over.

Nice try, though.

[rug]

13. Lol, that reminds me of Cheney's justification for Iraq.

Since when do you take a government official's, particularly an authoritarian official's, public rationales at face value?

Sorry to distrurb your world view but this is but the latest episode of government using religion for political purposes.

Here's some background for you.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/life-term-for-jamaat-leader-over-1971-crimes/article4382111.ece

Sorry it doesn't mention the Catholic Church anywhere. You'll just have to cope.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. However, the Islamists getting sentenced are the opposition

so it's not immediately obvious that the government official is making excuses for revenge on bloggers who are anti-opposition.

The ruling Awami League, secular parties, freedom fighters and pro-liberation organisations expressed “acute disappointment” at the “butcher of Mirpur” not being handed down a death sentence.

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed and Attorney-General Mahbub e Alam said they may consider appealing against the verdict at the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, Jamaat, which began a violent campaign in November against the trial, torched scores of vehicles and blasted Molotov cocktails injuring many policemen. The Islamist party has also threatened a “civil war” unless government stops the trial. In Chittagong, a man was killed in gunfight between police and pro-strike activists. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly said her government would not backtrack on the trial process.

Perhaps they needed someone to throw to the wolves to calm the rioting Islamists, and picked on the atheist bloggers. But it still means that hurt feelings of Muslims, whether the opposition Islamists or the more general population, are involved.

[rug]

15. I suspect both the bloggers and Islamists are getting played on this.

[skepticscott]

16. I'm sure you'd love to simply invent one

that supports your argument and say that the one repeated over and over in the article you cited must be false because it doesn't. The rest of us live on planet earth, though.

[rug]

17. No need to invent. I can read.

The difference between you and me is that I read the whole thing and think before I post.

[msongs]

5. the tyranny of islamic bullies - soon the USA will be subject to laws such as this nt

[rug]

9. Oh, brother.