Bangladesh gets it

Zafar Sobhan writes in Bangladesh's The Daily Star about the significance of the August 17 bombings there. On Wednesday, more than five hundred small, timed explosions rocked cities and towns in all but one of the nation's 63 provinces. The level of coordination required for such an attack exceeds that of every Islamist terrorist strike since 9/11, yet the western media are scarcely giving the event the attention it deserves.

The learning curve in Bangaladesh seems a good deal steeper than in America and the U.K., but then, they have suffered less dramatic (though more deadly) Jihadi violence in the past. Sobhan writes:

There can be no doubt (not that there should have been before, but anyway) that there exists a well-organised movement that wishes to replace our democratic system of government with a religious theocracy, and that they are prepared to use any means necessary to achieve their ends. Don't take my word for it -- or that of any other media trouble-maker for that matter. Take their word for it. Interestingly enough, though, early indications are that neither the government nor the opposition are doing so.

Remember what the lead investigator into the July 7 London bombings had to say in the hours after the bombs went off? "As far as I'm concerned, the words 'Islam' and 'terrorism' don't go together." I think we can expect that Bangladesh will be a little smarter and see the wisdom of a swift and unwavering crackdown on Islamist activity, in particular on Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, which should have been stamped out years ago.