February; The Month of Inspiring Students?

So today is the 21^st February, a day quite close to my heart and a day that is filled with both pride and sadness for my parents. Today is International Mother Language Day or International Mother Tongue Day. A day declared in 1999 to celebrate the beauty of language. It was declared an international day of recognition after the UNESCO recognised the need to commemorate a tragic but heroic day which was already being celebrated in Bangladesh.

On this day 59 years ago West Pakistan opened fire on students and professors of the University of Dhaka for protesting their rights to retain their mother language (Bengali) and their rights NOT to adopt a language forced on them (Urdu).  At least four students died defending (peacefully) the beautiful language of Bangladesh, a language I often take for granted. This day in 1952 would also spark more and more discontent from East Pakistan towards the West. It would mark the day that East Pakistan began to actively demonstrate against the West, something that would last almost 20 years and would see the genocide of 3 million Bengalis and indigenous people until finally independence would be granted in March 1971.

A language is the single most important tool human beings have. It is through language we communicate; through language we voice our love, our concerns, our annoyances, our ingenuity. We show almost everything through language. I can write this blog today because of language and it makes me feel deeply disgusted to think that people, young university students at that, had to die to retain recognition of their own language. Today over 300 million people speak Bengali, and this is in no doubt partly thanks to the massive sacrifice these students made all those years ago. I’m forever grateful.

It’s sad but I haven’t actually done this story any justice. My feelings towards this day, both because of my roots and because it is a testimony of pure bravery in the face of oppression, cannot simply be explained by a blog post. However I find comfort in the fact that all across the world at least, people will be honouring the memory of those that have died. All across the world, thanks to you, martyrs of language, people shall also be recognising the beauty in their own language. So, today, readers, celebrate your language but also please do remember those who paid the ultimate price to save their own.

Speaking of genocide, the 18^th of February marked an important day for another group of university students in another part of the world. In Germany 1943 a group of four boys and one girl from the University of Munich were caught by the Gestapo (the Nazi secret police) distributing anti-Nazi propaganda leaflets. They were just a group of young students, (much like those at the University of Dhaka) but they had an almost impossible task to even dream at that time, turning the fearful German citizens against Hitler and the Third Reich.

They distributed a total of six leaflets, calling for Germans to resist Hitler’s regime. They were  and still are among the bravest people of Germany and the world, yet they were caught. Betrayed by the university’s cleaner; Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested, later so were the rest of the White Rose, and four days later they were executed.

The bravery of the students of the University of Dhaka and the White Rose is one of inspiration and utter respect. It is people like this that have shaped the world we live in today, a world of tolerance and love (for the most part). There is no doubt in my mind, that had these students not spoken out for what they believed, had they not resisted and fought back the world we live in would be extremely different.  Perhaps I find their stories all the more inspiring because as a university student myself, I can’t imagine being killed for standing up for what I truly believed in. I can’t imagine being that strong-willed and determined. I have nothing but respect and admiration for them.

For more information:

 http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8246538-international-mother-language-day-21-february-2011

http://www.un.org/en/events/motherlanguageday/

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERwhiterose.htm

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/socialeffectsofwar/p/whiterose.htm

Sly, Horrible, Bad Mannered, Miserable, Thieves

I was going to post another politically driven post, one about Bangladesh, but something that has just happened to me has taken precedent.

I live with 13, yes, 13 other girls. We've all been pretty friendly to each other and actually, I like most of them a lot. Recently, though, it's getting quite tiring living with them and this is for one reason only. Since returning to uni from the Christmas holidays, my "wonderful" (oh yes I went there with the quotation marks!) flat mates have decided that they will do everything in their power to be sly, horrible, bad mannered, miserable, thieves (yes, I went there!)!

Let me explain, so you don’t think I’m being unnecessarily bitchy. We came back from Christmas to find that “someone” had decided it would be o.k to leave their disgusting left over food on our kitchen table for the whole month. That’s right, someone decided to cook some rice before they left and leave it there for the magic fairies of Washing-Up Land to come and take it. This meant that the first sight we saw when we came back was a big pot of decaying, green, bacteria-ridden rice but, whatever right? Maybe someone forgot to wash it. Maybe they were in a rush to catch the train home. Whatever, no big deal. Oh no!

All of a sudden, dirt, grease and filth seem to be common place in our kitchen now. Once revered as the cleanest kitchen of the uni-I kid you not-orange, oily, residue, food stuff and fat of chickens plague our sinks, clog our drains and fester on our hobs. Again, whatever, we have cleaners, they’ll be our mums (note: my mum would never put up with me leaving such a disgusting mess), it’s fine. Oh no it gets worse still…

I went home last weekend, as I do every weekend, to go to work. I left Friday evening, I was back by Sunday evening, two days, and what do I find when I get back? All of my washed and dried pots and pans had been used, dirtied and left for ME COMING BACK FROM LONDON to wash! Now I’m a reasonable person, I let a lot of things slide, but this, this is just taking the biscuit! Being a Muslim, I don’t eat pork, they do, how do I know they didn’t cook pig? It wasn’t even a little dirty, this was full on disgusting! Burnt on food and residue, left atop a greasy, burnt overspill. I was fuming! I wrote a horrible but frank note and then called a flat meeting.

A note, via another housemate, also a victim of the same incident, was sent to every one of our housemates about SIX whole hours before the meeting was set. Come 7o’clock two housemates decide not to show up and another thinks it’s a burden and a waste of time but came begrudgingly, after receiving a swift kick up the backside from the aforementioned other victim. There, with me leading, we came to an agreement that we would show each other a little more respect and manners, we would be a lot cleaner and we would own up to anything me may have done which would upset others. No, no one owned up to using my things…yeah, I know! I was still happy with the outcome, though, it was positive, I was satisfied and so were the others, I’m not an evil dictator everyone had their chance to share any qualms they may have. So I had high expectations things would change.

Lo and behold, I woke up to real angry knocks and shouting from our lovely, wonderful, cleaners. They really are such sweeties, so friendly and always happy to see us, so the fact that they were so angry really worried me. What’s happened now? After EVERYTHING that happened during the meeting, someone had urinated in our bathroom. No, not in the shower so it goes down the drain, on the floor and covered it with a mat! I KNOW! A huge puddle of yellow piss all over our shower! Sad thing is, we have FOUR bathrooms in our flat, four toilets too, the one bathroom that they happen urinate over, would be mine wouldn’t it! If you’re wondering, yes the poor cleaners did have to wash it, yeah I know!

After the week I’ve had I just had to get away from this dingy flat for a while, alone. So I decided it was a perfect opportunity for me to go to Tescos. I did my weekly shop and thought I’d treat myself to a little treat, heck, I deserve one! I bought a pack of ten chocolate crepes amongst other stuff and was happy that I managed to get everything I needed for just over £15. Things are looking up! I gave myself a break away from my 3000 word essay and cracked it open at around 10pm, I ate two and gave one to another flatmate. A couple of breaks later my tummy rumbles, and hey it may be unhealthy but my tummy makes the decisions, so I go to the fridge and take out another one… WHAT THE FLYING FUCK! There’s ONLY THREE LEFT!!!! I’ve been hearing people go in and out of the kitchen but I didn’t think they’d have the audacity to steal someone’s food!

Baring in mind that it was 2:15 am when I got up to get one, I think it’s safe to say; ladies and gentlemen my flatmates are sly, horrible, bad mannered, miserable, thieves. And, yes, I know exactly who it is! I can hear her right now in the kitchen as well, stealing someone else’s food no doubt; it’s now 3:13 am…

Should the BNP be banned?

Yesterday, once again, the violent and disgusting English Defence League (EDL) held another "demonstration" in Luton. The EDL were formed after a group of seriously misguided and easily brainwashed, not to mention utterly stupid Muslims called for British troops to "burn in hell". They have since held demonstrations to fight against "militant Islam" or so they say. In actual fact, no matter, what they claim it seems the EDL can’t stop themselves from talking about Islam has a whole. They’re not fighting against militant Islam, they’re fighting against Islam altogether, they spew nonsense; they find on the internet and do not ever go about trying to have rational debate.

It seems, every single EDL demonstration, thus far, has always resulted in drunken brawls and serious racial tensions, not surprising considering so much of the EDL is comprised of football hooligans and drunken chavs. They are a seriously fascist organisation and it’s worrying to know that their numbers are on the rise. Thankfully, most Britons, also view the EDL for what they are; a bunch of far-right hooligans, out, not to peacefully protest but to cause trouble. My friend and I were discussing this at work today and at some point the conversation jumped to the British National Party (BNP).

The BNP is a political party of the extreme right. They’re fascist and as such they are, like most fascists, are; racist, sexist, bigots, extremely nationalistic (note the difference between patriotic and nationalistic) oh and did I forget to add they think that you can’t be British if you’re not white? The BNP were formed from the National Front and have had such a rise in popularity, that they won 2 seats in the European Parliament and even in my constituency (which is perhaps leaning towards being predominantly Asian) had a BNP member trying to run for the local elections. Luckily their popularity has dwindled and so in the last general election they did not win any seats at all, a series of mocking facebook groups soon followed – I joined every one of them!

One of the main reasons I can’t stand Nick Griffin and the BNP is, of course, because of their racist policies. If voted into power, they have stated that they want to see the expulsion of all immigrants and their children regardless of whether they are legally British. This would mean that they would see the deportation of not only me but of people from a mixed background (one white British parent, one non-white British etc.) as well. Such a policy would mean disaster for British workforce, first and foremost and especially for such institutions like the NHS, a huge employer, on all levels, for migrants. Another reason I hate the BNP, Nick Griffin and many other predominant BNP leaders are serial Holocaust deniers! They also want to pull out of the EU, they want to enter into isolationism, they promote Islamophobia, they’re anti-Semitic, the list goes on… In short they are one of the most vile parties known to man, I would go so far as to say they are on par with the NSDAP (Nazi Party).

I could write forever about the utter idiocy and hypocrisy of, and of my hate for the BNP, however this is not what this post is about. My friend and I were discussing whether the BNP should be made illegal and we were both quick to come to one conclusion, no. Now before you all *facepalm* or do something worse, my reasons, or rather reason, since there is only one reason for why such a vile group should be allowed to stay, is freedom of speech.

I’m always so proud to be a part of a democratic society. A society that practices, liberties that are so taken for granted and it is for this reason that the BNP should not be banned. They are, after all, and it pains me to say this, a legitimate political party. As stated by the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), every single citizen of the EU has the right to freely express their views, they also have the freedom to think how they like and are never to be discriminated against for their political views. Frankly, banning the BNP, no matter how fascist they are, goes against their basic human rights and they are humans, poor excuses for humans but humans nonetheless.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to go make friends with any of the BNP members or supporters (someone drop a piano on my head if that ever happens) but it’s the nature of a free society to allow such people to voice their opinions. If they’re not committing a crime (Nick Griffin did go on trial for denying the Holocaust and the BNP have never come outright and been racist) then they have to be allowed to practise politically. We, as the rational Britain, have to also practise politically too by exercising our rights to vote and protest as well so that we can ensure such a party never get voted in.

Apologies for any incoherent bits, I’m writing this after a 13 hour shift starting at 5am with only 2 hours sleep.