[Reader-list] Assassins, A South Asia Story

[Naeem Mohaiemen]

Since 1971, Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) has framed much of its
political reality in opposition to the idea of Pakistan. Some things I
have heard over the years: "We will never allow Bangladesh to become
Pakistan", "Why did we bother leaving Pakistan if we are going down
the Islamic path as well?", "Thank god we're not with Pakistan", etc.

The scars of the 1971 genocide run deep. Periodically wounds flare up,
such as when Islamist groups with ties to death squads in 1971 claim
it was "civil war" not "genocide"

http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/category/jamaat-e-islami/

My khalato bon (cousin) has direct memories of 1971 and even refuses
to eat dried fruit or nuts if she discovers it was imported from
Pakistan. She once said to me "Pakistan, ota ekta desh holo naki?"
(Pakistan, is that even a country?). This reminds me of the stories of
post-WWII Jewish consumers who refused to buy Volkswagen/Mercedes
cars. My parents (especially my mother) to this date refuse to visit
Pakistan (they were posted there in the 60s).

There is precious little comfort from such nationalist defenses. Yes
we are no longer part of Pakistan, but it would not take much to tip
the scale. It is only geography (non-adjacency to Afghanistan, no
stake in Kashmir) that rescued us from Indo-Pak nuclear brinkmanship
and American-Soviet pawn moves. Tariq Ali once wrote that Pakistan was
the "used condom" from the Afghan war that America had fished out of
the toilet after 9/11.

With yesterday's assassination of Benazir, again the Pakistan shadow
over Bangladesh. Palpable jitters on the Dhaka streets. How long
before Bangladesh gets engulfed by similar syndromes?

Meanwhile, two blog entries..

Assassins, A South Asia Story
http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/12/28/assassins/

Assassination Alley
http://rumiahmed.wordpress.com/2007/12/27/assassination/