Taslima speaks out on Islam, Bangladesh, Iran, Kerala, death threats...and more
Jet lag does not bother her. Just a day after flying in from New York, Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin sits through her session at the Kerala Legislature International Book Festival and then speaks to TNIE patiently, passionately. For nearly two hours.
Kerala draws her often. She says she likes collecting photographs from places where people value her — images she later contrasts with the way she is treated by the West Bengal government, which she alleges is swayed by fundamentalist pressure.
Raised as an atheist by her father, Taslima recalls reading the Quran in Arabic without understanding it. When she read it in Bengali, she found its tenets oppressive to women.
A doctor by profession, she chose to speak up — a decision that turned her life into a whirlwind after she was exiled from Bangladesh. That, however, did not subdue her spirit.
Politics, she says, is not her path. Writing is. And speaking, too.
Excerpts from an interaction:
You have donned many roles: doctor, poet, author, activist… which one do you identify with most?
None. I just want to be called an honest person. Just a human being. I was surrounded by dishonest people. Now I am not accepted — neither in Bengal nor in Bangladesh. The Left government of West Bengal banned me in 2003. But now the Left Front government honours me in Kerala. Why? I am the same person.
What do you think explains this paradox?
I believe in the Left ideology of equal rights for all. But I don’t know why they opposed ‘Dwikhandito’, the third part of my autobiography. The West Bengal government had banned it because I wrote against the idea of Islam as a state religion. Can you imagine that from a Left government? Perhaps because the Muslim clerics opposed it. ‘Ganashakti’, the Left newspaper, wrote extensively against ‘Lajja’. Only one person — E M S Namboodiripad — wrote in my support, in ‘People’s Democracy’.
My books have been well-received in Kerala. I feel it is a liberated state. But it is disturbing to hear that people from here have joined ISIS. I get two pictures now: one, very liberated, and the other, indoctrinated.
Bangladesh was once a hub of Bengali intellect, mysticism, and culture. Why do you think it changed?
After Partition, many Hindus left the land. It became a Muslim-majority state. Initially, Hindus made up about 30 per cent of the population. Now it is only around 8 per cent.
Are you implying that a Muslim majority changes the character of the land?
Of course. The kind of education the Muslim majority receives also plays a role. Governments used religion for their own interests, allowing mosques and madrasas to come up everywhere, where sectarianism was taught. Sermons containing anti-Hindu and anti–non-Muslim hate were allowed. As a result, Hindus and Buddhists were attacked.
Every leader did this — (Hussain Muhammad) Ershad, Khaleda Zia, even (Sheikh) Hasina. She built 560 model mosques. Why do you need so many? Leaders never thought of the nation or the future of children. They only thought of staying in power. Children ended up reading just one book and became fanatics.
Bangladesh was culturally rich. We had poetry, dance, music in schools and neighbourhoods. Now all that has stopped. Fundamentalists occupied the country with the help of successive governments. Muhammad Yunus did not destroy the country one day; the destruction was already in process.
Bangladesh has had women leaders….
That is dynastic politics. Nothing more. Women have no real rights. Dynasties put Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda Zia, and Roshan Ershad in power. Dynastic politics must end. Ideological commitment is required to improve women’s lives. Islamic tenets oppose women ruling or mixing with men, but fundamentalists allow it when it suits them. It is a matter of convenience for them.
You belong to Mymensingh, where a Hindu man was recently burnt to death…
Yes. Dipu Das was beaten to death and then burnt. In recent days, about seven Hindus have been killed. Many Hindu homes have been burnt and women raped, especially since 2024. This has been happening for a long time, but it has gained global attention only now.
The attacks intensified after the regime change. Fundamentalists were behind the student protests.
Similar incidents, though not to the same extent, happen in India too…
Yes, minorities are targeted across the world. I have spoken against that as well, be it Hindus, Muslims, Christians or Buddhists. I have written against killings over beef. But you cannot compare what is happening to minorities in Pakistan or Bangladesh with what is happening in India.
Do these incidents relate to people increasingly wearing their religion on their sleeves?
Even in Kerala, religious identities are more visible now…
The same is happening in Bangladesh. In the 1970s and ’80s, hardly anyone wore a burqa. In schools and medical colleges, there was no hijab. Women wore saris or salwar kameez. Now it is everywhere. It began in the 1990s.
Something positive is happening in Iran. Women are now protesting against the hijab, and against the Islamic regime. I have always felt the burqa is a man’s attire. Men wear it when they want to kill, steal, or do bad things. I would not feel comfortable speaking to someone whose face is covered. For security reasons, it should be banned.
You had backed the CAA…
I want it extended to free thinkers and writers banned in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan. Many of us carry Muslim names but are atheists. We were forced out for opposing Islamic laws. From abroad, we speak against violence — against fanatics burning Hindu homes to seize land. Atheists and humanists are threatened and driven out. I always seek solace for them from India. Free thinkers are above religion. I am above religion.
You have been called a Hindutva supporter…
That is propaganda by jihadis. Whenever I criticise Islam, they brand me a R&AW agent or a BJP–RSS supporter. This is common, especially when I speak about Muslim women’s rights.
You are accused of attacking core beliefs…
Of course. Those tenets must change. There are provisions in religious texts that are against women — in marriage, divorce, inheritance. A man can have four wives; women cannot even divorce. Women get less property than their brothers. Patriarchy thrives when religious laws oppress women.
Many women now speak up for women’s rights. Will things change?
Change is happening. Women may be wearing burqas, but they are getting educated and working. It is slow, but it is happening. At the same time, fundamentalism is growing. Free thinkers must challenge the idea that Islam is exempt from criticism. It must reform. I want a Uniform Civil Code based on equality everywhere.
In the West, some women say the burqa is about religious identity...
I see even small girls wearing burqas in New York. What identity are they seeking in a country where everyone is equal and all benefits are available? Halal food is easily available there. This is not about identity. How long will people say this?
They pressure the UK to adopt Sharia laws, which are against women. Polygamy and FGM are illegal in Europe, yet some practise them in London, calling it culture. This is torture, indoctrination.
How do you view Muhammad Yunus, once seen as a Nobel Peace Prize icon?
He is a fundamentalist. I think he is like Aung San Suu Kyi or Henry Kissinger — peace prize winners who later proved harmful. Mob violence has been going on for a year, and he does not care.
Will elections in Bangladesh change the situation there?
There is some hope, though I don’t know how much. One day, people in Bangladesh will tire of Islamic laws and revolt, like in Iran, where people now say: ‘We are not a Muslim nation, we are Persians. And we don’t want Islamic laws.’
Has writing been a liberating experience for you?
I don’t write to entertain. I write to make people think, to change society. Writers cannot bring about revolution overnight. But some people have changed their ideas because of my work. Some extremists have become liberal. Writing can influence governments too, but it takes time. Good books can influence. Religious fanatics, however, read only one book.
How careful should writers be about hurting religious sentiments?
I am not careful. Why should I be, when other sentiments are hurt daily? Fundamentalists invoke archaic laws, issue fatwas.... that should not happen. Democracy means freedom of expression.
Can religious freedom and freedom of expression coexist?
Yes. But if a religion calls for violence, democratic laws must intervene. You can practise religion until it harms others. You cannot block roads for mass prayers or kill in the name of faith. Anger is allowed, violence is not.
You also write love poems. How does that fit with your activism?
Because I believe in love. I want love and respect for all.
You have become more visible in Kerala these days…
I recently attended an atheist conference in Kochi and will be attending another one.
How are you received in West Bengal today?
[Chief Minister] Mamata Banerjee banned my TV series. I want to be in Kolkata as I am Bengali and belong to that culture. But she won’t allow.
What is your next project?
I haven’t thought about it yet. I need to think of another book.
Have you ever wished you had chosen a peaceful life instead of activism?
No. I need to write for people. I may be killed anytime. I still receive threats. But if I can contribute to humanity and equality, my life will be meaningful.
(With inputs from Anil S & Parvana K B)