Hindus and Jews have strongly urged newly elected mayor of Sofia (Bulgaria) Yordanka Fandakova to improve the plight of Roma people residing in Sofia, who were reportedly facing apartheid like conditions.

Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman; and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA; in a joint statement in Nevada today, said that mayor Fandakova should make Roma upliftment her first priority as their maltreatment was a dark stain on the face of Sofia and Bulgaria.

Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, and Rabbi Freirich stressed that it was simply immoral to continue staying apathetic and silent spectator ignoring Roma plight, who reportedly regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, etc.

Commissioner for Human Rights of Council of Europe Thomas Hammarberg, who recently concluded a three-day visit to Sofia, visited a Roma settlement in the Republika district of Sofia where he assessed the living conditions as inhumane. “No one should live in these conditions in today’s Europe” he declared.

Capital and largest city of Bulgaria, Sofia is the second oldest city in Europe whose roots can be traced back to about 7000 years. Lonely Planet has described Sofia as “city waking up after decades of slumber”.

Tags: Hinduism, human, jews, plight, Religion, rights

Bangladesh has got independence since 1971. After independence the peoples was got good constitution which was made in 1972. But after the killings of the nation Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman peoples of Bangladesh has lost this constitution. Army men especially General Ziaur Rahman and General HM Ershad were broken our constitution. And then, put Islam in the constitution by arm force. Still we have been carrying the black spot.

In Bangladesh the brutal persecution on the religious Christian minority and ethnic Indigenous are rolling on in a stream roller mode. Until now the persecution that the both community faced never saw that light of justice. The culture of justice denial is the root of all persecution on the ethnic and religious minorities and it’s not the partial but a whole part of criminal justice system in Bangladesh.

The General Zia and his ancestors introduced the persecution on the minorities in Bangladesh. Bangladesh was blessed with the Islamization by the mechanism under military regime in absence of parliamentarian democracy. Bangladesh was not born with blessings to be communal but with a spirit of Islamization but a secular policy. The attack on the religious minority bring with the idea of “Islam in the constitution”.

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Tags: Bangladesh, human, indigenous, Minority & Indigenous, rights

Human Rights in Bangladesh

Humanize the Human Rights are the people’s demand of the time in Bangladesh. Some time in many issues we have experienced the raising voice against the factual human rights violations. Same time we do experienced the political partisanship and demoralization of human rights groups as well as individual Human Rights defenders. As a example human rights organizations are divided in the name and favor of politics, religion and donor orientated agenda and propaganda. Recently in the partition in the filed of Human Rights was focused in the argument on the issue of election monitoring of Bangladesh Ninth Parliamentary Elections. The two main political parties gave objection to the election commission objecting the partisanship of the selected NGO’s in the 34 members Election Working Group donated by international donor agencies . 

The major print and electronic media of Bangladesh has covered the facts widely. The said fact obviously brings in light the facts about the division and demoralization based on politics among the human rights group in Bangladesh. The democratic frame was stumbled by the demoralization of Human rights in Bangladesh.

I don’t oppose the practice of politics of individual or community. I do not wish the rule of military regime or dictatorship indeed. In the same time I do also don’t want to see the Human Rights of the peoples would be delimited and the rights of the people will be violated for the sake of political opinion or practice by the Human Rights instruments.  

The other division is very vocal and that creates a vital crucial division in the filed of Human Rights and also a great hindrance in the way to promote communal harmony and equip Human rights. There area certain Human Rights groups those who are working namely protecting the Human Rights of the peoples. But they only armed with hearted slogan in mind for others to protect the rights of the certain Religious groups with an ultra communal attitude.  

Among the irrational groups there are also highly inner divisions. Some are of them extensively working for the Hindus while others are highly sensitize for the Christian or others own faith .By these groups the Human Rights of the peoples are highly violated with high profile communal attitude.  

While the atheist groups are blaming the all religion in general as the root cause of all human rights violations and highly propagating to convince the people not to believe in Religion. 

Bangladesh is a poor developing country; the NGO’s mainly depends on foreign fund. The Ngo’s always tried to gain the foreign fund and the donor agency crucially enforces their propaganda related agenda with an ulterior motive. And that cause another highly diplomatic defect in the filed of Human Rights.  

 As an example the Arab based donor organizations donate the faith based Islamic fascist Ngo’s to Islamize the country. In past days Bangladesh government’s Intelligence agency like National Securities of Intelligence (NSI) and Directorate General of Intelligence (DGFI) has traced a bunch of Ngo’s who are patronizing the Islamic extremist and their Slogan for Islamization of the country. The Arab based facilitation influx the Islamic fascism and farm communal hatred that ends with a grenade attack or suicide bomb attack that’s kills thousands of innocent peoples and progressive peoples. Bangladesh’s present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, progressive British diplomat Anwar chowdhury was also among target who was targeted by the Islamic fascist to kill. 

 Any kind of division is a high hindrance in protecting the Human Rights of the people and equipping the peace and justice in the Human family. As all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, the Human rights groups or individual shouldn’t deny protecting the rights violated people of any belief or disbelief or for any political opinion indeed. It’s time to think locally but act globally to enroll the justice and peace. 

[William Gomes is an independent human rights activist, a Catholic ecumenical activist, and a political analyst. He is also the Executive Director of the Christian Development Alternative (CDA), a national organization against torture and human rights violations. He  can be contacted by email at cda.exe@gmail.com.]

Tags: Bangladesh, human, Religion, rights