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From: arun
Date: Feb 25, 2007 5:33 AM
Subject: Asru- an exhibit on Bangladeshi Minorities
To: Rajeev.srinivasan@gmail.com
Dear Rajeev
You might be aware that FACT-USA did an exhibition of Kashmiri Hindus in the Washington DC a couple of years ago, which helped raise a lot of awareness. FACT together with HRCBM ( http://www.hrcbm.org ) is now embarking on its new project- an exhibition on the Bangladeshi minorities. I am attaching the introductory letter here detailing the exhibit and also soliciting financial support
You can see more details at http://www.factusa.org/Bangladesh/info/bdeshinfo.htm . Would be great if you could post it on your blog, for awareness as well as for those who may like to help
thanks and regards
arun
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"Asru"
(tears)
An Exhibit on the Minorities of Bangladesh
"
Amar Sonar Bangla" - My Golden Bengal - is how the Nobel laureate poet Rabindra Nath
Tagore described the preciousness of Bengal, a land whose resilient people have endured jihad,
oppression and persecution over several centuries. Once known as the intellectual heartland of the
Indian subcontinent, Bengal was divided between India and Pakistan in 1947. After years of
political struggle, the area of Bengal under the control of Pakistan achieved independence and the
sovereign nation of Bangladesh was founded in 1971, but at a great price. Over 3 million civilians
were slaughtered by the Pakistani army and their local collaborators and another 10 million
became refugees in a matter of 9 months during the 1971 war. The majority of these victims were
Hindus, who were specifically targeted for extermination in a manner reminiscent of the
Holocaust.
Originally established as a secular democracy, Bangladesh gradually fell into the hands of Islamic
fundamentalists who declared it an Islamic Republic in 1988, and a systematic erosion of the
rights of the religious minorities began. Hindus form the largest religious minority in Bangladesh,
comprising about 11% of the population according to the 2006 census, a drastic decline from 37%
in 1947. The size of their population has made them a prime and easy target for persecution,
which takes many different shapes and forms: Hindu temples have been desecrated and razed to
the ground; prominent members of the Hindu community – professors, doctors, engineers,
businessmen - have been murdered in cold blood and their homes destroyed; women and young
girls have been raped in front of their family members or kidnapped and forcibly converted to
Islam; children have been le ft without their fathers and brothers, and with mothers or sisters
whose modesty has been ravaged and dignity stripped away, leaving no hope for their future. The
current persecution of Hindus of Bangladesh, however, is not a new phenomenon, but the
continuation of a trend that extends back centuries.
Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, FACT, is organizing
"Asru" (tears ) which will
highlight the centuries-old plight of Hindus of Bangladesh. The exhibit has already visited several
cities in India. In the past, FACT has successfully organized exhibitions on the plight of Hindus
in Kashmir. In 2006, a resolution was introduced by the House of Representatives of the United
States Congress documenting the human rights abuses against Hindus in Kashmir (H.Con.Res.
388). This was a direct outcome of the FACT Kashmir exhibit and awareness campaign. Please
visit our website for more information.
FACT is a non-profit organization which runs solely on public contributions. We humbly solicit
donations from everyone concerned about the impact of terrorism on innocent people. Help us
accomplish our humanitarian mission of giving voice to the victims of terrorism. Please send your
donation to the address above, or contact us for any further information.
Sincerely Yours,
FACT Board Members
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