Linked to our (french spoken) presentation ‘violence contre les femmes vient à 91% de l’entourage’ of January 2, 2006.
Also linked to our presentation on Rethinking Islam of January 20, 2006.
Also linked t our presentation on Safia Hussaini – Nigeria of October 31, 2005.
And linked to our presentation Moslems Protest for pictures of January 3, 2006.
She says: « Nature says women are human beings, men have made religions to deny it. Nature says women are human beings, men cry out NO! »
Taslima Nasreen – Bangladesh, a physician, a writer, a radical feminist, human rights activist and a secular humanist.
She says: »They have made Noorjahan stand in a hole in the courtyard, there she stands, submerged to her waist with head hanging. They are throwing stones at Noorjahan, those stones are striking my body. »
She says also: « If any religion allows the persecution of the people of different faiths, if any religion keeps women in slavery, if any religion keeps people in ignorance, then I can’t accept that religion. »
She says: « The political parties use religion for their own interests and whenever they find any criticism about religion, they can’t tolerate it. »
Images of beaten, hanged, dying, desperate and violented women.
Taslima Nasreen says: ‘Humankind is facing an uncertain future. The probability of new kinds of rivalry and conflict looms large. In particular, the conflict is between two different ideas, secularism and fundamentalism. I don’t agree with those who think the conflict is between two religions, namely Christianity and Islam, or Judaism and Islam. After all there are fundamentalists in every religious community. I don’t agree with those people who think that the crusades of the Middle Ages are going to be repeated soon. Nor do I think that this is a conflict between the East and the West. To me, this conflict is basically between modern, rational, logical thinking and irrational, blind faith. To me, this is a conflict between modernity and anti-modernism. While some strive to go forward, others strive to go backward. It is a conflict between the future and the past, between innovation and tradition, between those who value freedom and those who do not.’
« Women are oppressed in the east, in the west, in the south, in the north. Women are oppressed inside, outside home . Whether a woman is a believer or a non believer, she is oppressed. Beautiful or ugly, oppressed. Crippled or not, rich or poor, literate or illiterate, oppressed. Covered or naked, she is oppressed. Dumb or not, cowardly or courageous, she is always oppressed. »
« Even a mangy cur of the house barks now and then,
but over the mouths of women cheaply had,
there’s a lock, a golden lock. »
Taslima Nasrin composes her books in Bengali, her native language. Many have been translated into other languages – Hindi, Urdu, MaraThi, Malayalam, Assamese, Kannada, Oriya, Nepali, English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian, Icelandic, Finnish, Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, Persian, etc.
In France and in the Indian subcontinent, her name is spelled Nasreen. Elsewhere, it is spelled Nasrin.
Tasleema Nasreen releases the ‘The Reporter’ at Kolkata Book Fair, Kolkata, February 01, 2006 (webIndia123.com) – ‘The Reporter,’ a well-researched book for budding journalists, was formally released at the Kolkata Book fair here today by well known Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen.
Taslima releases ‘Nisiddha Mot Dwikhandito Path’: Kolkata, Jan. 30 (The Hindu / PTI) – ‘Nishiddha Mot Dwikhandito Path'(prohibited thought, divided way), a compilation of documents comprising the versions of debates on controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen’s book ‘Dwikhandito’ (split into two) was Sunday released by the writer herself at the Kolkata Book Fair. Published by the People’s Book Society and edited jointly by Nasreen and the city-based human rights activist, Sujato Bhadra, the 438-page document priced at Rs 200 gives in detail the controversy on ‘Dwikhandito’ from its ban on November 27, 2003, till the ban was lifted on September 22, 2005, by the Calcutta High Court.
Taslima Nasrin, a Bengali novelist, had a fatwa created against her in 1993 because one of her books, Shame, criticised Islamic texts which are used to oppress women (News.Scotsman).
Biography: born 25th. August. 1962 in Mymensigh, Bangladesh. She made MBBS in 1984 and worked as a doctor in different public hospitals including Mitford and Dhaka Medical College Hospital (1986-1993). She quits job in 1993 as a protest of government’s decisions. Government confiscated passport and asked to stop writing. Fatwa: The price was set for Taslima Nasreen’s head by Bangladeshi Muslim Fundamentalists in 1993 and 1994.
Trials are still going on for Blasphemy against Taslima Nasreen in Bangladesh court. One case was filed by Bangladesh Government. She had to flee Bangladesh, lived in Sweden, Germany and United States. Now she is living in France.
She has published poetry, essays, a syndicated newspaper column, and novels. She has received awards in India and Bangladesh for her work. She sprang into international consciousness when her novel, Shame, which depicts Muslim persecution of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, brought forth a death threat from Islamic militants (umiacs).
Bangladesh bans third Taslima book ‘Wild Wind’ – The authorities in Bangladesh have banned the latest novel by the controversial exiled feminist writer, Taslima Nasreen (BBC, August 27, 2002). The Ministre says: « The novel contains anti-Islam sentiments and statements that could destroy religious harmony. »
In 2001 her novel ‘French Lover’ did appear in Bangladeshi bookstores – her first publishing victory in the country since she left.
Taslima Nasreen and Freedom of Speech in Bangladesh, Resolution of the International Humanist and Ethical Union at its meeting in Toronto, July, 1994 (See the article on American Ethical Union).
links:
BBC;
Amnesty International (in french);
… and this link here is blogged in the U.A.E., where I live for some weeks, so I have not seen it – Message appearing: We apologize the site you are attempting to visit has been blocked due to its content being inconsistent with the religious, cultural, political and moral values of the United Arab Emirates. If you think this site should not be blocked, please visit the Feedback Form available on our website.