South Asia Citizens Web

Bangladesh’s personal laws for Muslims, Hindus, and Christians have not been reformed in decades. Personal law reform has often been fraught with problems, with some opponents invoking discriminatory interpretations of religion. The separate personal laws for Bangladesh’s Muslims, Hindus, and Christians discriminate in overlapping but distinctive ways. Each erects barriers to divorce and economic equality during marriage and after, and none of the laws provides for women’s equal right to marital property.

Anyone incensed by symbolic violence, such as the video in the US or cartoons in France, should retaliate with symbolic violence in the same way or with peaceful protest. Not through physical violence. ‘Freedom to criticize religion is a major touchstone of the right to free expression,’ says Gilbert Achcar in an interview with Farooq Sulehria for Pakistan’s Viewpoint Online

Women in Afghanistan have a long way to go, but they also know they’ve come a long way since the days of the Taliban regime. None of them is prepared to give up the little they have gained

We could not see people in Koodankulam and those sympathized with them. It is truly regrettable that we could not meet them. However, after being denied entrance, our concern has become more serious and our solidarity has been stronger. Those who push for nuclear energy are closely connected. Globally, there are no boarders when it comes to nuclear devastation. Then let us overcome the difference of nationalities and languages and make thousands of, ten thousands of comrades to fight for our future without nukes together. We hope to see you in India on next opportunity.

Hector Abhayavardhana passed away on Saturday, September 22, at the ripe old age of 93. He was a lifelong and loyal member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party.Almost from the time he joined the Party as a young University student, Hector belonged to the top echelon of the Party – that formidable political pantheon of Philip Gunawardena, N.M. Perera, Colvin R. de Silva, Leslie Goonewardene, Edmund Samarakoddy, Bernard Soysa and Doric de Souza. With his death the curtain finally falls on Sri Lanka’s oldest political party, but its contributions over fifty years are a huge part of the island’s 20th century politics and society.