Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Taslima Nasrin

Article by MT Husain in the New Nation:
Taslima Nasrin, professionally a physician and a writer by fancy, a native of Bangladesh, lives abroad for years. As there was a report published in some media, she lamented that how come that she could not come to her motherland Bangladesh even when the Awami League and a lady like her, some years older in age, Sheikh Hasina is in power. She was certainly right. Her lamentation had genuine point.

None can take away anybody's birth right as living in one's own birth- place and country, and so leaving from or entering into. The government cannot deny much less restrict that right except recourse to due process of law.

I am not sure what legal restrictions she has against her. Even if there is any, she can come in and face the due process of law in the court just like any other citizen could be under. None should be outside the purview of law or without recourse to it.

She has however image problem in the society. In this case she has options. One, she could continue as she did in the past as a vulgar feminist writer not acceptable in the predominantly Bangladeshi Muslim society, but even so, being a pluralist state, the government may well provide her with the best possible security inside the country. Or else, she could well engage herself both in her original profession of physician to serve many in physical ailments. In case she wants still to do her writing as a feminist advocate she has to avoid vulgarism, particularly of sexuality, and instead do writing that would not offend the religious feelings and sentiments of the millions of her own countrymen living in Bangladesh.

Thus putting the ball in her court the government should welcome her back in the country.

Offical website of Taslima Nasrin
Wikipedia - Taslima Nasrin

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