Rokan's Journal

America is a predominantly Christian country—65% to be exact. As a result, American life revolves around Christian holidays, or holidays that have Christian undertones: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter – just to name a few! While Christians can easily take for granted the normality of their annual holiday rhythms in America, the … More How people of other faith can support Muslims during Ramadan

PLO declaration of independence Arafat sought to establish himself as the only leader who could unite and speak for the Palestinians, and in mid-1988 he took the diplomatic initiative. At the 19th session of the PNC, held near Algiers on November 12–15, 1988, he succeeded in having the council issue a declaration of independence for … More History of Palestine – land, people and politics (part – 6)

The UNRWA camps In December 1949 the UN General Assembly created the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to assist the Palestinian refugees. In May 1950 UNRWA established a total of 53 refugee “camps” on both sides of the Jordan River and in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, … More History of Palestine – land, people and politics (part – 5)

British mandate of Palestine In July 1922 the Council of the League of Nations approved the mandate instrument for Palestine, including its preamble incorporating the Balfour Declaration and stressing the Jewish historical connection with Palestine. Article 2 made the mandatory power responsible for placing the country under such “political, administrative and economic conditions as will … More Histoty of Palestine – land, people and politics (part – 4)

Palestine: Roman era Palestine during the time of Herod the Great and his sons. Herod, in Rome, was recognized by the Senate, with the approval of Octavian (later the emperor Caesar Augustus) and Mark Antony, as king of Judaea (40 BCE) and returned to Palestine in 39. Shortly afterward Roman troops expelled the Parthians, whose … More History of Palestine – land, people and politics (part – 3)

The Iron Age (The Israelites in Palestine, Palestine during the time of David and Solomon.) Though the Israelite tribes entered Palestine before the end of the Late Bronze Age, they did not become firmly established in their new home until the early decades of the 12th century BCE. Their number was increased greatly during the … More Histoty of Palestine – land, people and politics (part – 2)

Palestine, area of the eastern Mediterranean region, comprising parts of modern Israel and the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip (along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea) and the West Bank (west of the Jordan River).The term Palestine has been associated variously and sometimes controversially with this small region, which some have asserted also includes … More History of Palestine – land, people and politics (part-1)

১৯৭১ সালের ডিসেম্বরে, ইন্দিরা গান্ধী বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধের সমর্থনে পাকিস্তান সেনাবাহিনীর বিরুদ্ধে লড়াই করতে ভারতীয় সেনা প্রেরণ করেছিলেন। এই হস্তক্ষেপটি নয়টি সংক্ষিপ্ত দিনে যুদ্ধের উপসংহার এনেছিল এবং গণহত্যার ও জাতিগত নির্মূলকরণের নয় মাসের অভিযানের অবসান ঘটিয়েছিল। যাতে অগণিত লোক  মারা গিয়েছিল এবং হাজার হাজার  হয়েছিল গৃহহারা। সুতরাং, স্বাধীনতার প্রাক্কালে, মনে হয়েছিল যে এর ফলে বাংলাদেশ … More ভারত বাংলাদেশ সম্পর্কের হালচাল

Israel’s continuing oppressive and discriminatory system of governing Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) constituted a system of apartheid, and Israeli officials committed the crime of apartheid under international law. Israeli forces launched a three-day offensive on the occupied Gaza Strip in August during which they committed apparent war crimes. This compounded … More Human Rights Violation In Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced many millions of people and has its roots in a colonial act carried out more than a century ago. With Israel declaring war on the Gaza Strip after an unprecedented attack by the armed Palestinian group Hamas on Saturday, the world’s eyes are … More Israel-Palestine conflict – at a glance