The Bangladesh Bomb Blasts: The Writing on the Wall?
On August 17, nearly 400 bombs went off across Bangladesh, within a
30-minute period, in practically every district of that country.
Despite the 2 deaths and 100 injuries, it was clear the bombs
were not meant to kill, but to send a message. What is the
message?
On August 17, nearly 400 bombs went off across Bangladesh, within a
30-minute period, in practically every district of that country.
Despite the 2 deaths and 100 injuries, it was clear the bombs
were not meant to kill, but to send a message. What is the
message?
Mohaiemen talks about the effect of the blasts and how the reach
and synchronization of this event have shaken Bangladeshis out of
a long period of complacency. Is this a sign of foreign designs
on Bangladesh? Is it an indication that militant Islam is now a
serious contender in a political cauldron that has heretofore
involved power struggles between the military and secular
parties? Or is this a sign of a larger worldwide trend where
religious extremism moves in to fill the vacuum left by crippled
leftist parties?
Hear why the bomb blasts are a significant event in South Asia
and in the global story of political Islam today.
NAEEM MOHAIEMEN is a filmmaker and digital-media activist
specializing in Migration, National Identity and Religion. Naeem
is Director of VISIBLE, an arts collective which created
DISAPPEARED IN AMERICA (disappearedinamerica.org) -- a
walk-through multimedia installation that uses a film trilogy,
soundscapes, photos, lightboxes, and the audience's interactions
to humanize the faces of "disappeared" Muslims since 9/11. Naeem
directed MUSLIMS OR HERETICS (muslimsorheretics.org), a
documentary about struggles between moderate and radical Muslims
and co-produced RUMBLE IN MUMBAI, a film on globalization, for
Free Speech TV.
For more information about Naeem Mohaiemen’s work see:
http://www.disappearedinamerica.org
http://www.muslimsorheretics.org
http://www.shobak.org
