Nature Says Women Are Human Beings, Men Have Made Religion To Deny It

No criticism of Islam can be allowed, no. 392 in a continuing series:

Muslim protesters have attacked controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen during a book launch in Andhra Pradesh state in southern India.

Lawmakers and members of a political party assaulted the exiled feminist author as she presented a translation of one of her novels in Hyderabad.

Ms Nasreen, who backed into a corner, said the attack was barbaric but pledged she would not be cowed.

Many Muslims have accused Ms Nasreen of ridiculing Islam.

Ms Nasreen was launching a Telugu language version of a novel at the press club in Hyderabad.

About 100 protesters, including three lawmakers, from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party burst in, shouting that the author was "anti-Islam".

Ms Nasreen backed into a corner as objects rained down and she was threatened with a chair, witnesses said. One witness said Ms Nasreen was slapped.

She was protected by others at the meeting and was later taken to safety by police.

Here's a report from Indian TV, with video footage of the incident.

A fatwa was issued against her in 1993. Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) - the party responsible for the violence - are threatening to implement it:

“There is a fatwa against her and the fatwa is one and all for the entire Muslim world, whether it is Salman Rushdie or Taslima Nasrin,” MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said.

“If Taslima makes another visit to Hyderabad, yes we will try to implement the fatwa on her,” he said.

She's been living in exile from Bangladesh for 11 years.

[Post title is a quote from Taslima Nasreen's website.]

Comments

[Noga]

I saw Taslima Nasreen speak at Concordia a few years ago, before 9/11. That is to say, before the whole world was fully aware of the kind of oppression she was fighting, in her poetry and activism. A very robust presence there was of Muslim students, men and women. Ironically, the women were the most vocally indignant at what she was saying.

As far as I could make out then, she was not interested in any religious reforms. That is, she was thoroughly secular in her worldview and was mainly interested in improving the lot of women in her society. It really doesn't make sense that she would advocate changing the Quran because the Quran had no meaning for her. It was just a book, which she would rather less people read, maybe.

Here is one of her poems which should make you shiver in fear:

NOORJAHAN
by Taslima Nasrin

They have made Noorjahan stand in a hole in the courtyard
There she stands submerged to her waist, her head hanging
They’re throwing stones at Noorjahan
Stones that are striking my body
I feel them on my head, forehead, chest, back

And I hear laughing, shouts of abuse
Noorjahan’s fractured forehead pours out blood, mine also
Noorjahan’s eyes have burst, mine also
Noorjahan’s nose has been smashed, mine also
Noorjahan’s torn breast and heart have been pierced,
mine also

Are these stones not striking you?

They laugh aloud, stroking their beards
Their tupis* shaking with jubilation
As they swing their walking sticks
They with quivering and cruel eyes
speed to pierce her body, mine too

Are these arrows not piercing your body?