Happy Birthday, Dr. Taslima Nasrin

(Picture of Dr. Nasrin taken from here)

Yesterday (25 August 2009) was the birthday of Dr. Taslima Nasrin, the controversial Bangladeshi physician turned author, and feminist and human rights activist, who works to build support for secular humanism, freedom of thought, equality for women, and human rights by publishing, lecturing, and campaigning.

From Wikipedia:

Nasrin started writing poetry when she was thirteen. While still at college in Mymensingh, she published and edited a literary magazine, SeNjuti ("Light in the dark"), from 1978 to 1983. She published her first collection of poems in 1986. Her second collection, Nirbashito Bahire Ontore ("Banished within and without", 1989) was a big success.^{[citation needed]}. She succeeded in attracting a wider readership when she started writing columns in late 1980s, and then novels, for which she has won significant acclaim.^[20] In the early 1990s, she began writing novels. In all, she has written more than thirty books of poetry, essays, novels, short stories, and memoirs, and her books have been translated into 20 different languages.

Even if one does not agree with everything that she has written, one can still respect her for her courage and principles. Whatever our own beliefs are, we must all defend, to the death, her right to free speech. In her own words:

Freedom of expression for some is not enough.
We must work for freedom of expression for all.

Human rights for some is not enough.
We must work for the human rights for all.

Peace for some is not enough.
We must work for peace for all.

I, come what may, will not be silenced.
Come what may, I will continue my fight for equality and justice without any compromise until my death.

Come what may, I will never be silenced.

And so must we.

Happy Birthday, Dr Nasrin! May you be happy and have peace wherever you are!

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

P.S. You can read the first part of her autobiography, My Girlhood, here, and the second part, My Stormy Youth, here. You can send her a birthday message on her Facebook page, here, and read more about her work here.

P.P.S. Here is a blog by Tamoso Deep, a fan of Taslima Nasrin.

For the Anti-ISA Protestors: Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt

(photograph from GMI's blog)

The current situation in KL, with some Malaysians willing to threaten and intimidate other Malaysians with violence just to prevent them from exercising their right to free speech and peaceful assembly, fills me with deep concern. If we care about our rights and freedoms, and for a Malaysia that is free from unjust laws, violence and thuggery, we must effectively oppose groups like Pewaris.

I will write more about how groups like Pewaris are a threat to our freedom and democracy. Until then, I'd like to share with you this poem by Leigh Hunt. It is one of my all-time favourites, and I humbly dedicate it to the Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI), and all who join in their protest today. May all who are unjustly detained without trial get the justice they deserve.

Abou Ben Adhem
by Leigh Hunt

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight of his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:-

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
'What writest thou?' - The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered 'The names of those who love the Lord.'

'And is mine one?' said Abou. 'Nay, not so,'
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said 'I pray thee then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.'

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names who love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.


Please support the Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA in their struggle for Justice.

Leigh Hunt based the protagonist in this poem on the legend of Ibrahim Bin Adham, the 8th century Sufi mystic. According to the legend, as described by Rumi in his famous Masnavi, he was the ruler of Balkh, who abandoned the throne to become a zahid.

Hunt also seems to have been inspired by the Islamic belief of Lailatul Bara'ah (or Nisfu Syaaban, as it is referred to in Malaysia). On this night it is believed that the records of our deeds during the past year will be collected, and a new "book" opened. This year, it falls on the evening of Wednesday, 5th August 2009, in four days time. This webpage has information about it.

God knows best.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart

A Translation of "Gurindam Fasal yang Kelima" from Raja Ali Haji's "Gurindam Dua Belas"

In my earlier post in honour of the late Capt. Yusof, I quoted part of Raja Ali Haji's Gurindam Dua Belas. Gurindam are words of wisdom set in verse, usually in the form of couplets.

For the benefit of readers from elsewhere, I tried Googling for an English translation, but in vain. Until one is found, may I offer this attempt at bringing these words of an eminent scholar, historian, poet and alim to a wider audience.

Translation of Gurindam Fasal yang Kelima, from Raja Ali Haji's Gurindam Dua Belas

If the well born you would identify,
look for their kindness and courtesy

Those who are happy and prosper,
waste and idleness do foreswear

If the noble you would perceive,
look you at how they behave

if it's ones with knowledge you require,
of questions and learning they never tire

As for the wise, it's easy to tell,
in this world, for the next they provide well

If the good natured are whom you seek,
when they're with company you must peek

I am not a scholar of Raja Ali Haji's works, nor am I of the literati; I will therefore defer if any of them wish to disabuse me of my literary pretensions.

If it were solely up to me, I would have translated the third verse to read:

If the noble you would perceive,
learn you for what they strive

However, as translators must always remind themselves, "I can decide what a line should mean when I write poetry of my own."

There is a Dutch translation somewhere out there, done by Elisa Netscher, a colonial official and historian who collected, transcribed and translated Malay manuscripts. If you have it, or come across it, would you send me a copy? I would be most grateful to you.

I humbly dedicate this translation to A.A.

Sincerely,
Malaysian Heart