Burn The Watchtower
The trap of Re-Orientalism
“Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,” wrote Rudyard Kipling, a man with a silly name who only had a career because West met East and immediately mugged it, running off with wallet, shoes and pants. Through Kipling’s pen, the British
BURN THE WATCHTOWER / Dead Brown Bodies vs. Hurt White Feelings
I'm writing this on April 13. Exactly a hundred years ago, today was the day of the Punjabi New Year, celebrated by the Sikhs as Baisakhi. At Baisakhi, 1919, the British Indian army massacred about a thousand people (British inquiries suggested 379 dead) in a garden in Amritsar.
BURN THE WATCHTOWER / Is the UK using citizenship to avoid its responsibilities?
When UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced the decision to prevent Shamima Begum from returning to the UK, many were thrilled—including Bangladeshis.
BURN THE WATCHTOWER / White Headstones and Black Bodies
Tucked away in the hills of Chittagong, and between the overgrown temples of Maynamati, are white stones bearing the names of the African men buried beneath them. We refer to their graves as British graves.
Being American Can't Be Easy
There are certain advantages to being Bangladeshi. (This is not actually true, but for now let's pretend.)
