Black Lives Matter and the spirit of the Rebel poet

“Only when the battle fields are cleared of jingling bloody sabres

Shall I, weary of struggles, rest in quiet,

I the great rebel.

I am the rebel eternal,

I raise my head beyond this world,

High, ever erect and alone!”

Bidrohi, Kazi Nazrul Islam (1921)

Translated by Kabir Chowdhury (www.icnazrul.com/index.php/nazrul…original-bidrohi)

-Wrote a young Kazi Nazrul Islam in 1921 returning from the First World War that launched a jounrey of creations that had inspired freedom struggles and millions of Bengalis into activism for equality. On May 25, Bangladesh celebrated its National Poet’s 121st birth Anniversary. Episode 5 of Auditiya Betaar id dedicated to Kazi Nazrul Islam. Marufa Kaniz and Aparna Kanungo read two of the most revered pieces of writing, a poem “The Human” and a speech “If the flute does not sing anymore” .

In the spirit of Nazrul’s lifelong dedication to equality among all human beings irrespective of ethnicity, race, religion, sex, riches and other forms of differences, I sit down with Dr. Ahmed Badruzzaman, a Bangladeshi American scientist and long time activist in progressive causes to discuss the current Black Lives Matter movement. Here are the salient points from our discussion:

Five Things we want the Bangladeshi Americans to know about Black Lives Matter

1. Saying Black Lives Matter is Important! It does not mean that other lives are expandable! It only stresses the point that safeguarding Black lives need urgent attention and more protection in a society where a history of slavery of the black people, and their continued discrimination and dehumanization has created unsafe living conditions for the Black masses. Compare this with the demands of specific focus on violence against women. It does not mean violence against everyone else should go unnoticed; it merely signifies the need for extra attention to the most vulnerable among us.

2. This is the moment we need to show up for the Black Lives Matter Movement. The oppression goes back over 400 years to the days of slavery which was abolished at the end of the US civil war in 1865. But it took another 100 years to pass laws giving rights to African-Americans (Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.) At that point many activists perhaps thought their work was done. While passing the laws was great progress, the rights often were on paper. Bias and discrimination were rampant. The healing process of the historical trauma was interrupted by modern day subjugation through mass criminalization of black youth aided by savage mistreatment from law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Think about the George Floyd murder- a police officer kneeling on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds while other officers watched. This was inhuman, but it was one of many such killings. After Barack Obama was elected the first black president in 2008, many of us had thought racial justice has been achieved. But that was not the case as these killings show. We have a long way to go and must take this moment to push the movement forward.

3. The first thing we as a community, must do is to look at ourselves. In Bangladesh, one of the most popular products is the skin fairness cream. The bias against dark skin is ingrained in us from childhood. How is that affecting our lives and the lives of our children today, we must ask, How are we passing on our values, judgments to our children? Some South Asians often compare slavery with having servants for domestic help in our households back in our native countries. But they are two very different things. In slavery, Black people were treated as cattle, bought and sold in open markets. Human beings were mere property. That trauma is simply unimaginable! Our next generation here is growing up in this society, with people of many races, religions and colors. They need to be able to function in this complex and diverse mix. We need to make sure we become examples for them to bring out the best. We need to look deeply into our own biases, address them and create a safe environment for our children so that they can live in peace and harmony with others.

4. Not everyone has to go to demonstrations to show solidarity. We are living through a pandemic and must stay safe as well as speak out for humanity. There are many ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement other than joining the activists in the street. We can support black-owned businesses, donate to organizations supporting black rights and reach out to our black neighbors letting them know that we are with them. Most importantly learn about the black history and encourage your children to learn about them outside of school curriculum. Here is a list we recommend

linktr.ee/southasians4blacklives

5. As Bangladeshis, we know all too well the discrimination and racial bias we faced from the Pakistani State prior to independence in 1971. We were mistreated, discriminated against, killed and raped. We must not forget how that affected our people; the pain continues to spill out even today. After the tragedy of 9/11, Muslims often faced discrimination and were mistreated in America. Many from the black and other communities came out to support us. So now, we should become allies of the BLM by learning their history, being sensitive to that history, and lending a helping hand. We can learn from our own history, take inspiration from our national Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam who dedicated his Artistic life in the pursuit of equality. 

Let us live in a humane world as envisioned by Nazrul and peace loving citizens all over the world :

“The song of Equality I sing-

Nothing’s nobler and greater than mankind;

Exists there no difference in place, time and person;

Indistinguishable are the religion and nation;

He is the kinsman of mankind of all places, Of all times, in every house!-..”

The Mankind, Kazi Narul Islam

Translated by Mustofa Munir.

Listen to the Podcast in Bangla: https://soundcloud.com/user-642932151-109330954/auditiya-betaar-episode-5

Dr. Ahmed Badruzzaman is a Bangladesh-born American scientist. He has studied energy technologies and issues for over 40 years. He currently co-teaches University of California at Berkely's Big Ideas Course, Energy and Civilization, which allows students to explore the energy and climate change challenges. He is a strong supporter of UC Berkeley's Bangla language teaching program and helped raise funds to endow it.