The Malpractice of Shariah and theVictimization of Women Worldwide

 Incident one: Hena Akter. This 14 year old Bangladeshi girl from Naria of Shariatpur district was sentenced to lashing by local Union Parishad clerics. Why should she be lashed in public? Clerics demanded that the girl was allegedly having an illicit relationship with a 40 year old married man. Therefore, according to Shariah, they volunteered, she must be whipped in public. Hena was sentenced to 100 lashes. After receiving 70 lashes, she collapsed. Taken to the hospital, she was announced brought dead!  Bangladesh government was prompt enough to take action against the killing after a massive protest was launched. A fresh post mortem has been ordered to carry out as soon as possible. Also, the cleric, who ordered the sentence, was asked to be arrested as soon as possible.

Incident two: Shakineh Mohammodi Ashtiani. This 43 year old woman of Iran was sentenced to death by stoning in public. Local court, after announcing the verdict said, the mother of three is involved in an illicit relationship with two men at the same time. Not only that. The court demanded that Shakineh was involved in a terrible conspiracy against her own husband and helped one of her lovers to murder him. Therefore, the court decided to give her the capital sentence. According to Shariah, they said, if a married woman gets involved in an illicit relation with a man, then she must be stoned to death!  There was unequivocal protest against this merciless sentence worldwide. Pressurized by the powerful countries of West as well as human right commissions such as Amnesty International, Iran government has decided to postpone carrying out the sentence. Nonetheless, Shakineh was rewarded 99 lashes inside the prison.

Incident three: Aisha Begum. 18 year old married woman from an Afghanistan village was given shelter by a European organization after being thrown away from her in-law’s house. No, Aisha was not sentenced to death by the local clerics. The teenage Begum had nowhere to go. Vehemently tortured and raped, she decided to protest against the in-law. One night she escaped and taken shelter to her grandfather’s home. But, soon she was discovered and brought back to the in-law. Her husband was not home at that time. She was mercilessly tortured by her brothers-in-law. Therefore, they decided that her nose should be chopped off because she was having an illicit relationship with a neighbour! However, the relationship was only a claim and there was no proof. But, Aisha Begum was destined to be born in Afghanistan, a country almost ruined by the hardliner Taliban regime and nine years long aggression of foreign force. So, her nose was chopped off and she was thrown into utter darkness. Aisha was discovered by the European organization working for Afghans and given a new nose as well as a new life. Aisha does not cry anymore. Time magazine decided to publish the picture of Aisha on their issue cover with nose severed. It was such a horrible of a sight that there was a massive stir against the merciless Shariah system worldwide. However, America and its allied forces had taken the full advantage of the incident and claimed that they had rescued Aisha.

Incident four: Lubna Husain Ahmed. The middle-aged Sudanese social worker and human rights activist was sentenced to whipping according to Shariah by local clerics. What did she do? She, along with some women friends had gone to a restaurant wearing a trouser instead of Salwar. So, the clerics demanded that she should be punished with lashing. Being a social worker herself, Lubna decided not to give up and challenged her sentence in court. Massively pressurized, a local court of this Muslim-populated country had decided to postpone the sentence and free Lubna from all hazards.

Lubna won her challenge. She managed to be out of the prison because she was an educated social activist. She had many followers and supporters. People gathered outside the courthouse and chanted slogans to free Lubna Husain Ahmed. But, nobody gave a damn when Shakineh was sentenced to be stoned to death or whipped inside the darkness of prison. Nobody raised voice when Hena was whipped to death. The village neighbourhood remained silent when Aisha’s nose was chopped off, when she barely escaped imminent death.

This malpractice of Shariah by hardliners in various Muslim countries has nowadays become a fashion. If you are a woman, lives in a place where this malpractice prevails over administrative concerns, chances are that you would be whipped or stoned in public. And once you are in love? You are gone. These extremists would get hold of you.

Shakineh, Hena and Aisha were allegedly having ‘illicit’ relationships. Just notice the very word, ‘illicit’. In a democratic country, ruled by a republic government, who is supposed to decide whether a man and a woman are having an ‘illicit affair’ or not? What does the word implicate? There is no answer.

According to Shariah, the woman involved would always be punished in public. Why not the man? The incident in Bangladesh is certainly a ‘once in a blue moon’ one, but these hardliners claim that Shariah law must be implied to give verdict in such a case. What they actually do is to misuse Islam to take lives away. The implication of Shariah in a highly patriarchal society therefore creates negative impact in the world outside. People start believing that this is the malpractice of the religion itself! What a pity! Quran never states that a woman should be punished in this way if she has an ‘illicit affair’ or something like that. Now, just imagine the impact! Just imagine how these hardliners are misguiding people and mesmerizing them in the name of religion. How they are taking advantage of mass sentiment. What is the reason? Are not they enlightened or educated enough? Then why the power itself is profoundly supporting the extremist cause in countries like Iran, Afghanistan or Sudan? How could marital rape be legalized in a country like Afghanistan after Hamid Karzai came to the power?

Now, the question is who will take the initiative to stop this mass murder in the name of religion? Who will take initiative to stop victimization of women by misusing Islam? The answer is certainly not blowing in the wind!

Published in the 'News Today' Bangladesh (January, 2011)

The Application of Doppelganger in Films Worldwide

The word Doppelganger itself has a German orientation. Generally, the word is used to describe any ‘look-alike’ of a person. But, in other sense, it is used to describe the sensation or feelings of one for having glimpsed oneself in the ‘peripheral vision’. But, at the same time, it has nothing to do with one’s reflection onto the mirror or the mirror image. It is something like one’s alternate self. In some traditions, doppelgangers are generally regarded as ‘harbingers’ of bad luck, illness, even as ‘omen’ of death.

Now, the question is, is it a mere phenomenon or a psychological disorder? ‘The Nature’ reported in September 2006 that, in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, a patient was having the experience of the presence of another person in her ‘extra personal space’. As she was being treated for epilepsy under the observation of Dr. Shahar Arzy and his colleagues, the focal electrical stimulation was applied to her left temporoparietal junction. At that time, she felt the presence of another person, ‘looks’ exactly like her or the body posture identical to her. As the conclusion of this ‘strange sensation’, Dr. Arzy argued that left temporoparietal junction of the brain evokes the sensation of ‘self-image’, ‘body-location’. When this left temporoparietal junction is disturbed by anything, ‘the sensation of self attribution is broken and may be replaced by the sensation of a foreign presence or copy of oneself displaced nearby. This copy mirrors the real person’s body posture....’

But, this kind of phenomenon can be seen is case of ‘mentally ill persons’, who have either ‘schizophrenia accompanied by paranoia’ or ‘delusions of persecution and of alien control’, as suggested by Arzy. This can also be identical to various existing psychological problems like ‘monothematic delusion’, ‘syndrome of subjective doubles’ or ‘out of body experience’. Although the above patient was mentally fit, her left temporoparietal junction of brain was disturbed by the stimulation.

Whatever the psychological reason is, this article has something to do with the application of the phenomenon Doppelganger in films worldwide. The first among the films on this phenomenon to be noted is ‘The Doppelganger’, directed by Avi Nersher, made in 1993, with Drew Barrymore in the lead role. Dealing with the story of a beautiful young girl named Hurley, cast by Barrymore, the film shows us how the girl is being blamed for the murders of her own mother, father and an attempt of murder on her brother, which are believed to be committed by her, but ‘not her exactly’. The girl gives excuses of her own doppelganger, who, she believes, has committed all those murders. Hurley claims that she can see her own doppelganger, can meet her in person, who looks exactly like her. The film goes through a series of ‘strange’ as well as ‘erotic’ events which lead to an ending, which is nothing but a bloody mess! Instead of dealing with the exact phenomenon of doppelganger or its psychological impression, the film shows a psychologically ill person, who takes the disguise of Hurley and commits all the crimes as he wants to get Hurley into his possession. He seems to be obsessed by the physical beauty of the girl. The film ends with the killing of the person by the ‘real doppelganger’ of the girl.

In order to show that the girl has 2 split personalities (one is good, another is evil), which is a very common phenomenon Hollywood generally deals with, the film literally has to split the girl into 2 skeletons from a flesh and blood human being. But, how can it be possible biologically, the film does not give any logical explanation about it. Undoubtedly, it is a very bad effort on the doppelganger phenomenon.

Next film we have to deal with on the same phenomenon is a Japanese one, by the same name. The Doppelganger in Japanese is directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. This film more or less deals with the phenomenon of doppelganger as the harbinger of death. Takashi dies because he has met with his own doppelganger. His sister, Yuka, explains to the scientist, Hayashaki San, her sensation about the doppelganger of her brother, who lives with her after his death. This scientist, on the other hand, has also been meeting his own doppelganger and facing huge trouble because of him (his own alternate self, as the self himself claims) in his workplace as well as in his personal life. Takashi’s sister believes that the huge mental burden of her brother because of the Newcomer Award in novel (on which he was working) has led him to immense depression and finally he has chosen to commit suicide. According to Yuka, through the doppelganger, Takashi has met with his ‘ideal self’. But Takashi’s doppelganger seems to be a very strange one, who has no similarity with in nature or behavior with original Takashi.

Simultaneously, Hayashaki San is fired from his workplace because of the mess created by his own doppelganger. Here also, the doppelganger seems to be a different human being, though he looks exactly like the scientist. He destroys Hayashaki’s tremendous toil, the autonomous chair for the disabled persons. This doppelganger is exactly opposite of Hayashaki, who even murders Takashi’s doppelganger. Here also, he has been dealing with immense mental stress. So, the screen portrayal tells us that a person can meet his own doppelganger, when he is burdened with immense psychological burden (which can be similar to the pressure on left temporoparietal junction of brain). Through meeting this alternate self, he or she can reach to the point of meeting the ‘ideal self’, what he or she has always been wishing to be.

In Kiyoshi’s Doppelganger, the alternate self brings Hayashaki the contract with Medicon Industries, which was his dream. The doppelganger makes love to Yuka, and later explains to Hayashaki that he has always been wishing to do that but cannot achieve. As his doppelganger, he only fulfills San’s desire.

But, at last, we see the film portrays the doppelganger of Hayashaki San as a different human being, whom he kills by his own hand. The man seems to be a different one from the moment he kills his doppelganger. Once he explains to Yuka that from then on he would do whatever he wishes to. The doppelganger, on the other hand tells Hayashaki before ‘his’ death that soon they would merge into one. Kiyoshi Kurosawa shows at one point of time that the 2 selves of Hayashaki San merge into one and also they split into 2 different human beings at another point of time very interestingly through superimposition, animation and split screen.

It seems that after the doppelganger dies, the 2 selves have merged into one complete Hayashaki San, who does everything according to his desire. It is not the previous Hayashaki who was so dazed and confused, cheated by everybody. It is a completely different Hayashaki whose wishes are accomplished by himself. Thus, he kills Kimishima, his assistant, flees with Yuka, does not even die when Kimishima runs the truck over him and finally, he does not sell his dream project to Medicon Industries. Rather, he hits Takado when he opens his car door to get the machine out. He again flees with Yuka and stops beside a seaside. The machine suddenly gets the power to be self-driven and runs towards the sea. It finally drowns into the sea. And Hayashaki’s dream is shattered into pieces, as if he has desired to destroy his dream project rather than to sell it to anyone else.

So, both of the films do not go with the actual idea or phenomenon of doppelganger. The doppelganger is not a different human being. It is like one’s own image that he/she can see but cannot control. These films do not handle the phenomenon of doppelganger as ‘one is having glimpsed oneself in the peripheral vision’. A man and his doppelganger do not converse with each other. The 2^nd film rather goes on with the idea that the unfulfilled desires can only be accomplished if one meets his/her ideal self through his/her own doppelganger. Rather, the doppelganger helps to bring out the ‘unconscious’ into forefront. Through the doppelganger, we come to know our hidden desires, which is impossible for us to work out according to Lacan. Lacan says we have need, demand and desire. This desire can never be fulfilled because our desire lives in our unconscious, which we can never encounter. So, there is obviously psychological part attached with the phenomenon which is needed to be excavated more and more. As an art form, as an audio-visual form, film can always help us to understand the truth about the doppelganger phenomenon. This type of application also enhances our desire to know more about the strange phenomenon existing beyond our world of knowledge.

Himu and Nilu: Return of the Native, At a Different Genre

Humayun Ahmed was a mere child when Sunil Gangopadhyay started writing.  Today, both of them are leading Bengali writers, one from East and one from West Bengal, highly acclaimed in the world of literature. The age of reason has not blurred the very similarity of prose-writing style between the two.

Sunil, apart from regular prose and poem, created Nillohit. Readers of Bengal are well aware that Nillohit is not only a pseudo-name, used by the eminent author. Nillohit is a strange character, with some specific perceptions about this world. Nilu (his nickname) is a jobless youth of 27 years, who views world from a different perspective. Strange things happen to him. But, Nilu never gets involved with a particular job. His soul is as free as a bird, who can never be caged. So is Himu. Humayun, apart from Misir Ali, created this strange character as one of his most popular protagonist. Himu is also a jobless youth, roams here and there, gets involved with strange things and never be fixated with a particular job. Like Nilu, Himu also works for human welfare.

Nillohit has a strange place in this world to go whenever he feels worthless. Why strange? Nobody knows much about Dikshunyapur. Inhabitants say, people, who are disgusted with this mortal world, who are badly cheated, who are engrossed in deep agony, come to Dikshunyapur. They leave their each and every belonging behind. It is said that whoever come to this place, never goes back to the busy world they have left behind. It seems that they live in a different world, far from the madding crowd. Dikshunyapur is not a known place in the world beyond that. Therefore, questions arises, is this heaven? Whenever Nilu feels suffocated, he takes a train to Dikshunyapur. Where is this place? Nobody knows except Nilu, who is an inhabitant of this mortal world. So, is it a psychological journey? Author has kept this part in the domain of darkness.

Himu does not take a psychological journey. He does not have a world beyond the mortal one to go. He himself is a psychic. Not in a true sense, i.e. he does not practice black-magic, witchcraft or anything like that. He himself is a strange human being. He has a sense of premonition. Somehow like Nostradamus, he can tell fortunes. No, he does not practice fortune-telling. He is a simple, jobless youth. But he works for human welfare. He can make a human wish come true. He usually wears a yellow Punjabi which is his trademark. It is said that the sky even falls for the colour of his Punjabi! Is he blessed therefore? A son of nature? Author has kept this part in the domain of darkness too.

Both of them, (Nilu and Himu), are good liars. But, they are harmless. They lie for the well-being of their fellows. They lie because they want to see them happy. They lie because they want to tie the broken threads of human relationships. Here lies the similarity. Himu and Nilu never search for profit. Life is not a balance-sheet to them. Therefore they fell, but they stand up, start their journey towards the destined doom. They never get fixated.

Himu and Nilu are therefore two free souls from two different genres. Nobody can hold time for them. They never grow up. It is like time has stopped its journey for them. But, they belong to different ages, different genres. They are created by two different authors in two different countries. East and West Bengal have been split apart. Not the feeling that grows in the inmost core of heart.

So, native always return to home. Therefore, Himu and Nilu are very symbolic. They portray our subconscious which knows no division created by Kantatarer Bera. There is a vagabond in each and every human being, who usually keeps latent in our subconscious mind. All of us actually try to be like Himu and Nilu but mortal world creates barrier between conscious and subconscious. Humayun and Sunil have successfully blurred this division, belonging to two different genres.