(IN FLORENCE, ON HER FIRST TRIP TO ITALY, 1994. COURTESY OF JHUMPA LAHIRI.)

In my life in English, so to speak, there’s a sense that if I don’t hit a certain benchmark, I’ve failed. That’s the judgment I’ve felt from American culture from the start—the expectation to assimilate, and then, when I became a writer, to “represent” the Indian American experience, the immigrant experience. Then there’s the eternal, original judgment—of my mother, my parents, their immigrant community, their many friends with advanced degrees. Theirs was a language of comparison and competition, everyone striving to establish themselves and get ahead. And there’s the overhanging judgment, of the world my parents left behind in Kolkata. All of which I internalized.

Lahiri was born in London in 1 967 to Bengali parents from Kolkata, and raised in a small town in Rhode Island. In 2012, she moved to Rome with her husband, the journalist and editor Alberto Vourvoulias-Bush, and their children, Octavio and Noor. She has spent the better part of the past decade shuttling between Italy and the U.S., where she’s held teaching posts at Princeton, from 2015 until 2022, and, since this past fall, at Barnard College, her alma mater, where she also directs the creative writing program. When we met again in October, it was at her brownstone in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, a four-story building bookended by a large kitchen and living space on the parlor floor and Lahiri’s top-floor study. She and Vourvoulias-Bush hadn’t lived in the house for a year or two, and while we spoke on the sofas, he was getting the place back in shape. Some of their furniture was still in storage, and several art pieces, abstract photo collages and large stretched canvases, lay against a white marble mantelpiece, waiting to be rehung. The walls were painted deep purple.

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posted by f.sheikh

A sentencing hearing has concluded in the case of Australian whistleblower David McBride who was forced to plead guilty to leaking classified documents to the media after he was essentially denied a defense at his trial in November. The documents ultimately revealed evidence of war crimes committed by the Australian Defence Force.

Justice David Mossop will pronounce the sentence next Tuesday. The government has demanded more than two years in prison, while the judge could impose as little as house arrest, monitoring , and counseling outside prison for up to four years.

McBride, a former military lawyer, was charged with stealing government documents and giving them to journalists at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which revealed covered-up murders of unarmed civilians by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.  A four-year government inquiry later found 23 possible war crimes, including the murder of 39 Afghans. 

McBride’s defense had rested on the court accepting his argument that his oath to the British crown gave him a duty beyond obedience to military orders to instead inform the entire nation of government wrongdoing. 

But Justice Mossop refused that defense. “There is no aspect of duty that allows the accused to act in the public interest contrary to a lawful order,” he told the court in November.

McBride’s legal team tried to appeal that decision, but its application was denied by Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucy McCallum. On the same day in November Mossop ordered that agents of the Attorney General’s office could remove classified documents from the defense’s possession, which McBride’s team had intended to present to the jury.  

Because of those regressive rulings, McBride accepted his attorneys’ advice that, left with no viable defense, he should plead guilty.  

In arguing for a lengthy prison sentence, the government prosecutor said on Monday that McBride was motivated by arrogance and a sense of personal vindication rather than the public interest.

“Anything less would fall outside the appropriate range [of punishment],” the prosecutor, Trish MacDonald, said. “A period of imprisonment of two years doesn’t reflect the seriousness of the offending.”

Stephen Odgers, McBride’s chief attorney. told the court that McBride was a man of high character who suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, self-medicated with alcohol, and believed he was doing the right thing.  Odgers presented 13 character references.

But the prosecutor said McBride’s guilty plea to stealing government documents undermined his claims of honesty. “There’s no evidence, your honour, of contrition or remorse,” she said.

Sentencing will be handed down on May 14.

Whistleblower David McBride to Be Sentenced (consortiumnews.com)

posted by f.sheikh

Yes, Antisemitism should be condemned forcefully, but so should be Genocide in Gaza. President Biden condemned antisemitism in his heartfelt speech at Holocaust Remembrance, but unfortunately, he repeatedly failed to express similar heartfelt outrage at more than 34,000 innocent Gaza deaths which include thousands of children, women, and elderly. Most of the Gaza is in ruins. How President Biden can talk about Holocaust and antisemitism, but ignore the Genocide taking place in Gaza without coming across as hypocritical?

Biden continue to send weapons and aid to Israel despite Israel facing Genocide charges at ICJ. Biden Administration has abandoned our most cherished ideals of humanity, liberty, and human rights which are beacon to the rest of the world. This has pained and revolted many Americans, especially young students who took to the streets and in campuses to protest against Gaza Genocide and apartheid policies of Israel. Our young students are on the right side of the history and are holding up our cherished ideals of liberty, humanity, and human rights at the risk of their careers threatened by University Administrations, Corporate America, and Donors.

The supporters of Israel have lost the perspective and are hyping up antisemitism and spinning it as if antisemitism is more serious atrocity than the actual genocide and destruction taking place in Gaza. It is a cynical attempt to divert attention from Gaza Genocide. The “Antisemitism Awareness Act” passed by the House is another similar cynical attempt. The supporters of this Act, especially politicians on dole from AIPAC, do not care if it violates our most cherished liberty of freedom of speech, as long as it diverts attention from Genocide taking place in Gaza.

Congress is eager to investigate hyped up antisemitism in campuses but ignores to investigate the Genocide in Gaza. At Holocaust remembrance, in honor of those who lost their lives in Holocaust Genocide, it was fitting for the President and Congress to pledge to stop Gaza Genocide and investigate how our weapons and tax dollars are contributing to the Gaza Genocide and destruction.

F, Sheikh, May 7, 2024    

President Biden has abandoned our fundamental values of humanity, liberty, justice, and human rights – and continue to send weapons and aid to Israel despite Israel facing Genocide charges at ICJ and looming famine in Gaza. It revolted many Americans, especially young students, and they took to the streets as well as in campuses to protest Genocide taking place in Gaza and apartheid policies of Israel in Gaza and West Bank. Supporters of Israel want to smother these voices of protest, and House of Representatives has passed “Anti-Semitism Awareness Act.” Under this Act, expanded definition of antisemitism will make any negative comment about Jews or Israel may become a hate crime. We can criticize USA, but not Israel, and we can burn American flag but not Israeli flag. Believing canonized Gospels that Jews killed Christ will become a crime. This is an assault on our liberties.

Antisemitism slogan has become a weapon of choice to smother all critical voices against Israeli atrocities taking place in Gaza which has caused over 34,000 innocent Gazans deaths including thousands of children and almost total erasure of Gaza infrastructure, hospitals, schools, houses, and farming land.

Antisemitism weapon is being used to demonize protesting students by our politicians and media as Antisemites to divert attention from genocide taking place in Gaza. Politicians, media, and other pundits are spinning full throated as if Antisemitism is the actual serious atrocity and not Genocide and destruction of Gaza. Anti-Semitism Awareness Act is not only serious assault on our freedom of speech but also another diversion tactic to take away focus on Gaza Genocide.  

What will be the next diversion? Another Law for American citizens to take oath of allegiance to Israel also?    

F. Sheikh