Taslima heckled in Hyderabad
Bangladeshi feminist writer Taslima Nasreen found herself at the receiving end of fundamentalist ire when some activists of the Majlis Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM), an ally of the Congress.
By TNN |
HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: Bangladeshi feminist writer Taslima Nasreen found herself at the receiving end of fundamentalist ire when some activists of the Majlis Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM), an ally of the Congress, roughed her up at the Hyderabad Press Club on Thursday. The unsavoury incident took place when Ms Nasreen was releasing the Telugu version of one of her books. Two MLAs of the MIM, who purportedly led the attack, were shot flinging chairs at Ms Nasreen and the audience as well.
“She is an enemy of Islam. We cannot bear anyone talking against Islam. We will not tolerate her in Hyderabad,” MIM MLA Akhtar Khan told reporters. The MLA, who vowed to oppose Ms Nasreen, held out a threat that his supporters would continue to target her during her stay in Hyderabad. He even claimed to have the party backing for the entire incident. “I am a Muslim first and then an MLA. My party is with me in this mission,” he said. The police, which reached the press club a few minutes later, whisked Ms Nasreen away to safety. The MIM supporters have been arrested.
Ms Nasreen invited the wrath of the fundamentalists for the first time with the publication of her novel Lajja (Shame). She fled Bangladesh in 1994 when a local court ruled that she had “deliberately and maliciously” hurt Muslims’ religious feelings with her novel on riots between Muslims and Hindus. More trouble was in store for the writer when she stood up for equal rights for women and spoke out against the oppression of non-Islamic minorities in Islamic societies.
The radical Muslims had even organised a massive rally in Dhaka demanding the novelist be hanged. Ms Nasreen has been living in exile in India for the past few years.
There seems to be no respite here either. There have been a spate of fatwas being constantly issued against her by different Muslim outfits. A few months ago, chief of the Itehad Council Taqi Taza Khan had announced a bounty of Rs 5 lakh to eliminate the writer. His statement that “anyone who opposes the Prophet does not deserve to live” even elicited support from the members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). A member of the board, Zafaryab Jilani said the fatwa “will strike a chord and find mass support”.
Despite all this, Ms Nasreen finds India a safe refuge. “I believe in democracy. I hope to live safely in this country. The people who attacked me are in a minority. I get support and sympathy from a majority of people. I thank them,” she said.
The Centre, meanwhile, has condemned the attack and termed it “shameful”. Union information and broadcasting minister PR Dasmunsi said it was highly regrettable for a person from India or abroad to be subjected to such an attack. “We condemn the attack (on Taslima),” he said. The Opposition BJP, for its part, deplored the incident, which it said was “an attack on the freedom of expression”. A BJP spokesperson said: “We may disagree with her views, but this does not give us the right to attack her... It’s utterly undemocratic and reprehensible.”
“She is an enemy of Islam. We cannot bear anyone talking against Islam. We will not tolerate her in Hyderabad,” MIM MLA Akhtar Khan told reporters. The MLA, who vowed to oppose Ms Nasreen, held out a threat that his supporters would continue to target her during her stay in Hyderabad. He even claimed to have the party backing for the entire incident. “I am a Muslim first and then an MLA. My party is with me in this mission,” he said. The police, which reached the press club a few minutes later, whisked Ms Nasreen away to safety. The MIM supporters have been arrested.
Ms Nasreen invited the wrath of the fundamentalists for the first time with the publication of her novel Lajja (Shame). She fled Bangladesh in 1994 when a local court ruled that she had “deliberately and maliciously” hurt Muslims’ religious feelings with her novel on riots between Muslims and Hindus. More trouble was in store for the writer when she stood up for equal rights for women and spoke out against the oppression of non-Islamic minorities in Islamic societies.
The radical Muslims had even organised a massive rally in Dhaka demanding the novelist be hanged. Ms Nasreen has been living in exile in India for the past few years.
There seems to be no respite here either. There have been a spate of fatwas being constantly issued against her by different Muslim outfits. A few months ago, chief of the Itehad Council Taqi Taza Khan had announced a bounty of Rs 5 lakh to eliminate the writer. His statement that “anyone who opposes the Prophet does not deserve to live” even elicited support from the members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). A member of the board, Zafaryab Jilani said the fatwa “will strike a chord and find mass support”.
Despite all this, Ms Nasreen finds India a safe refuge. “I believe in democracy. I hope to live safely in this country. The people who attacked me are in a minority. I get support and sympathy from a majority of people. I thank them,” she said.
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The Centre, meanwhile, has condemned the attack and termed it “shameful”. Union information and broadcasting minister PR Dasmunsi said it was highly regrettable for a person from India or abroad to be subjected to such an attack. “We condemn the attack (on Taslima),” he said. The Opposition BJP, for its part, deplored the incident, which it said was “an attack on the freedom of expression”. A BJP spokesperson said: “We may disagree with her views, but this does not give us the right to attack her... It’s utterly undemocratic and reprehensible.”
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