Awful Sufferings

By: Munir Ahmed Khalili

It is now so long enough. The world, from around 17th century until our times, is really pestered hearing about 'Age of Civilization, Enlightenment, Humanism' and so and so. All might have been but no rescue for man from the sufferings caused by the very communities who boast for the values they say to have set in modern times. No need to trace dirty instances of barbarism and savage of the so-called Civilized Nations of the West in far past history. From only around last two or three centuries very much of what Colonialist did against humanity in their 'conquered lands' is evident in chronicle record. Forget the past and  take only the matter since drums of democracy and human rights got heavily beaten in the Third World.

Most of the last 60 decades the 'light bearers' of democracy supported dictators, emperors, kings, Sheikhs and Amirs in the Muslim world. We saw very painful happenings of wrongfulness, brutalities and tortures inflicted on particularly religious elements whose views and ideology is disdainfully named 'Political Islam' in Egypt, Bangladesh and in most of the Gulf States. All happens just under the nose of the powers, proud of their refulgent civilization.

Military coup in Egypt is matter of only 'yesterday'. A democratically elected president, Dr. Muhammad Morsi, was overthrown and military chief, Al-Sisi, discomposed all that started to bring in order as democratic system after 60 years dictatorship. Washington and Western capitals were not ignorant of dirty coup plan. All was done with amenability of American administration, Israel and the Gulf States. Dr. Muhammad Morsi, almost whole lot of الاخوان المسلمون leadership and hundreds of its workers were pushed behind thick prison walls. Dozens of them have met death sentence, many are subject to severe torture in jail. But all vehement protagonists of democracy and human rights keep mum on these brutalities.

Sheikh Mahdi Akif, one of the former heads of اخوان المسلمون (Muslim Brotherhood) died in jail. Verdict of death sentence is already ready for elderly and ailed اخوان spiritual guide, Muhammad Badi'e. Not only the اخوان but each and every person and party raising voice against transgressions on human rights and dignity of humanity are victims of authoritarian rule. A few months after Sheikh  Mahdi Akif' death very recently another prisoner, Abdul Rahman Lutfi, a prominent leader and General Secretary of Istaqlal Party in Minya Governovate, became target of extrajudicial killing by security forces through medical negligence. He died because, in spite of his serious illness, jail authorities deliberately failed to make provision of proper medical treatment. Two weeks before the death of Abdul Rahman Lutfi, Jamal Sorour, a political activist and diabetic, lasted his breath in jail due failure in accoutering a proper and in time medicine.