Taslima Nasrin

Taslima Nasrin

Taslima Nasrin speaking at 2010 Global Atheist Convention
Born 25 August 1962 (1962-08-25) (age 48)
Mymensingh, Bangladesh
Occupation poet, columnist, novelist
Nationality Bangladeshi, Swedish
Period 1973 – Present
Subjects Humanism
Literary movement Women's rights, Human rights, Secular movements
taslimanasrin.com/

Taslima Nasrin (Bengali: তসলিমা নাসরিন)(born 25 August 1962, in Mymensingh, Bangladesh) is a Bengali Bangladeshi ex-doctor turned author who has been living in exile since 1994. From a modest literary profile in the late 1980s, she rose to global fame by the end of the twentieth century owing to her radical feminist views and her criticism of Islam in particular and of religion in general.

Since fleeing Bangladesh in 1994 she has lived in many countries,[1] and currently (Mar 2010) lives in Sweden after expulsion from India in 2008 where she was denounced by the Muslim clergy and received death threats from Islamic fundamentalists. She works to build support for secular humanism, freedom of thought, equality for women, and human rights by publishing, lecturing, and campaigning. Her name, Taslima Nasrin (Bengali: তসলিমা নাসরিন), is also spelled Taslima Nasreen; she is popularly referred to as "Taslima," her first name, rather than "Nasrin."

Contents

Early career

She was born Taslima Nasreen to Rajab Ali and Idul Ara in the town of Mymensingh in 1962. Her father was a physician, and she followed in his footsteps.[2] Her mother was a devout Muslim.[3] After high school in 1976 (SSC) and pre-university course (HSC) in 1978, she studied medicine at the Mymensingh Medical College an affiliated medical college of the University of Dhaka and graduated in 1984 with an MBBS degree[4]; in college, she showed a propensity for poetry by writing as well as editing a poetry journal. After graduation, she practiced gynaecology at a family planning clinic in Mymensingh,[2] "where she routinely examined young girls who had been raped,"[5] and heard women in the delivery room cry out in despair if their baby was a girl.[6] She was reassigned in 1990 to work in Dhaka.[2] Born into a Muslim family she became an atheist over time.[7] In course of writing she took a feminist approach [8]

Marriages

In 1982 she fell in love with poet Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah and fled home to marry him; they divorced in 1986. Later she married journalist and editor Nayeemul Islam Khan; they divorced in 1991. In 1991 she married Minar Mahmood, editor of the now defunct weekly Bichinta, they divorced in 1992.

Taslima nasrin.jpg

Literary career until Lajja

Early in her literary career, she wrote mainly poetry, and published half a dozen collections of poetry between 1986 and 1993, often with female oppression as a theme, and often containing very graphic language.[6] She started publishing prose in the early 1990s, and produced three collections of essays and four novels before the publication of her 1993 novel Lajja, or Shame, in which a Hindu family is persecuted by Muslims. This publication changed her life and career dramatically.

Following the publication of Lajja, Nasrin suffered a number of physical and other attacks. In October 1993, an Islamic fundamentalist group called the Council of Islamic Soldiers offered a bounty for her death.[6][9] In May 1994 she was interviewed by the Kolkata edition of The Statesman, which quoted her as calling for a revision of the Quran; she claims she only called for revision of the Sharia, the islamic religious law.[2] In August 1994 she was brought up on "charges of making inflammatory statements," and faced death threats from Islamic fundamentalists. A hundred thousand demonstrators called her "an apostate appointed by imperial forces to vilify Islam"; a "militant faction threatened to loose thousands of poisonous snakes in the capital unless she was executed."[10] After spending two months in hiding, at the end of 1994 she escaped to Sweden. One of the results of her exile was that she did not get to practice medicine anymore; she became a full-time writer and activist.[11]

Life in exile

After fleeing Bangladesh in 1994, Nasrin spent the next ten years in exile in the West. She returned to the east and relocated to Kolkata, India, in 2004, where she lived until 2007. After renewed unrest broke out, and after spending several months in hiding, Nasrin left for the West again in 2008.

1994-2004, exile in the West

Leaving Bangladesh towards the end of 1994, Nasrin lived in exile in Western Europe and North America for ten years. Her Bangladeshi passport had been revoked; she was granted citizenship by the Swedish government and took refuge in Germany.[12] She even had to wait for six years (1994–1999) to get a visa to visit India, and never got a Bangladeshi passport to return to the country when her mother,[12] and later her father, were on their deathbeds.

In March 2000, she visited Mumbai to promote a translation of her novel Shodh (translated by Marathi author Ashok Shahane, the book was called Phitam Phat). Secular groups seized upon the occasion to celebrate freedom of expression, while "Muslim fundamentalist groups, who had threatened to burn her alive."[13]

2004-2007, life in Kolkata

In 2004, she was granted a renewable temporary residential permit by India and moved to Kolkata in the state of West Bengal, which shares a common heritage and language with Bangladesh; in an interview in 2007, after she had been forced to flee, she called Kolkata her home.[14] The government of India extended her visa to stay in the country on a periodic basis, though it refused to grant her Indian citizenship. While living in Kolkata, Nasrin regularly contributed to Indian newspapers and magazines, including Anandabazar Patrika and Desh, and, for some time, wrote a weekly column in the Bengali version of The Statesman. Again her anti-Islam comments met with opposition from religious fundamentalists: in 2006, Syed Noorur Rehaman Barkati, the imam of Kolkata's Tipu Sultan Mosque, admitted offering money to anyone who "blackened [that is, publicly humiliated] Ms Nasreen's face."[15] Even abroad she caused controversy: in 2005, she tried to read an anti-war poem titled "America" to a large Bengali crowd at the North American Bengali Conference at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was booed off the stage.[16] Back in India, the "All India Personal Board" offered 500,000 rupees for her beheading in March 2007. The group's president, Tauqir Raza Khan, said the only way the bounty would be lifted was if Nasrin "apologises, burns her books and leaves."[17]

Expulsion from Kolkata

On August 9, 2007, Nasrin was in Hyderabad to present the Telugu translation of one of her novels, Shodh, when she was attacked by a mob of violent intruders, led by legislators from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, a Muslim political party.[18][19] A week later, on August 17, Muslim leaders in Kolkata revived an old fatwa against her, urging her to leave the country and offering an unlimited amount of money to anybody who would kill her.[20] On November 21, Kolkata witnessed a violent protest against Nasrin by neo-Jihadis. A protest organized by the militant islamist "All India Minority Forum" caused chaos in the city and forced the army's deployment to restore order.[21] After the riots, Nasrin was forced to move from Kolkata, her "adopted city,"[22] to Jaipur, and to New Delhi the following day.[23][24][25]

House arrest in New Delhi

The government of India kept Nasrin in an undisclosed location in New Delhi, effectively under house arrest, for more than seven months.[26] In January 2008, she was selected for the Simone de Beauvoir award in recognition of her writing on women's rights,[27] but declined to go to Paris to receive the award, fearing that she would not be allowed to re-enter India.[28] She explained that "I don't want to leave India at this stage and would rather fight for my freedom here,"[29] but she had to be hospitalized for three days with several complaints.[30] The house arrest quickly acquired an international dimension: in a letter to London-based human rights organisation Amnesty International, India’s former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey urged the organization to pressure the Indian government so Nasrin could safely return to Kolkata.[31]

From New Delhi, Nasrin commented: "I'm writing a lot, but not about Islam, It's not my subject now. This is about politics. In the last three months I have been put under severe pressure to leave [West] Bengal by the police."[5] In an email interview from the undisclosed safehouse, Nasrin talked about the stress caused by "this unendurable loneliness, this uncertainty and this deathly silence." She canceled the publication of the sixth part of her autobiography Nei Kichu Nei ("No Entity"), and—under pressure—deleted some passages from Dwikhondito, the controversial book that was the boost for the riots in Kolkata.[32] She was forced to leave India on March 19, 2008.

Current situation (2009)

Nasrin is currently working as a research scholar at New York University, but frequently talks about her desire to return to her country.[33] Since, as she claims, "her soul lived in India," she also pledged her body to that country, by awarding it for posthumous medical use to Gana Darpan, a Kolkata-based NGO, in 2005.[34] In June 2009 she sent a petition to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for return to Bangladesh.

Literary works

Nasrin started writing poetry when she was thirteen. While still at college in Mymensingh, she published and edited a literary magazine, SeNjuti ("Light in the dark"), from 1978 to 1983. She published her first collection of poems in 1986. Her second collection, Nirbashito Bahire Ontore ("Banished within and without", 1989) was a big success. She succeeded in attracting a wider readership when she started writing columns in late 1980s, and, in the early 1990s, she began writing novels, for which she has won significant acclaim.[22] In all, she has written more than thirty books of poetry, essays, novels, short stories, and memoirs, and her books have been translated into 20 different languages.

Her own experience of sexual abuse during adolescence and her work as a gynaecologist influenced her a great deal in writing about the treatment of women in Islam.[5] Her writing is characterized by two connected elements: her struggle with the Islam of her native culture, and her feminist philosophy. She cites Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir as influences, and, when pushed to think of one closer to home, Begum Rokeya, who lived during the time of undivided Bengal.[35] Her later poetry also evidences a connection to place, to Bangladesh and India.[36]

Columns and essays

In 1989 Nasrin began to contribute to the weekly political magazine Khaborer Kagoj, edited by her second husband, Nayeemul Islam Khan, and published from Dhaka. Her feminist views and anti-religion remarks articles succeeded in drawing broad attention, and she shocked the religious and conservative society of Bangladesh by her radical comments and suggestions. Later she collected these columns in a volume titled Nirbachita Column, which in 1992 won her her first Ananda Purashkar award, a prestigious award for Bengali writers. During her life in Kolkata, she contributed a weekly essay to the Bengali version of The Statesman, called Dainik Statesman.

Novels

In 1992 Nasrin produced two novellas which failed to draw attention.

Her breakthrough novel Lajja (Shame) was published in 1993, and attracted wide attention because of its controversial subject matter. It contained the graphic description of a rape of a Hindu woman by a Muslim man.[37][38] Initially written as a thin documentary, Lajja grew into a full-length novel as the author later revised it substantially. In six months' time, it sold 50,000 copies in Bangladesh before being banned by the government that same year.[37]

Her other famous novel is ''French Lover'', published in 2002.

Autobiography

Her memoirs are renowned for their candidness, which has led to a number of them being banned in Bangladesh and India. Amar Meyebela (My Girlhood, 2002), the first volume of her memoir, was banned by the Bangladeshi government in 1999 for "reckless comments" against Islam and the prophet Mohammad.[39] Utal Hawa (Wild Wind), the second part of her memoir, was banned by the Bangladesh government in 2002.[40] Ka (Speak up), the third part of her memoir, was banned by the Bangladeshi High Court in 2003. Under pressure from Indian Muslim activists, the book, which was published in West Bengal as Dwikhandita, was banned there also; some 3,000 copies were seized immediately.[41] The decision to ban the book was criticized by "a host of authors" in West Bengal,[42] but the ban wasn't lifted until 2005.[43][44] Sei Sob Ondhokar (Those Dark Days), the fourth part of her memoir, was banned by the Bangladesh government in 2004.[45][46]

She received her second Ananda Purashkar award in 2000, for her memoir Amar Meyebela (My Girlhood, published in English in 2002).

Nasrin's life and works in adaptation

Nasrin's life is the subject of a number of plays and songs, in the east and the west. The Swedish singer Magoria sang "Goddess in you, Taslima,"[47] and the French band Zebda composed "Don't worry, Taslima" as an homage.[48]

Her work has been adapted for TV and even turned into music. Jhumur was a 2006 TV serial based on a story written especially for the show.[49] Bengali singers like Fakir Alamgir, Samina Nabi, Rakhi Sen sang her songs. Steve Lacy, the jazz soprano saxophonist, met Nasrin in 1996 and collaborated with her on an adaptation of her poetry to music. The result, a "controversial" and "compelling" work called The Cry, was performed in Europe and North America.[50] Initially, Nasrin was to recite during the performance, but these recitations were dropped after the 1996 Berlin world premiere because of security concerns.[51]

Writers and intellectuals for and against Nasrin

Nasrin has been criticized by writers and intellectuals in both Bangladesh and West Bengal for targeted scandalization. Because of "obnoxious, false and ludicrous" comments in Ka, "written with the 'intention to injure the reputation of the plaintiff'", Syed Shamsul Haq, Bangladeshi poet and novelist, filed a defamation suit against Nasrin in 2003. In the book, she mentions that Haq confessed to her that he had had a relationship with his sister-in-law.[52] A West Bengali poet, Hasmat Jalal, did the same; his suit led to the High Court banning the book, which was published in India as Dwikhondito.[53]

Nearly 4 million dollars were claimed in defamation lawsuits against Nasrin by fellow writers in Bangladesh and West Bengal after the publication of Ka/Dwikhandita. Writer Sunil Ganguli, with 24 other intellectuals pressured the West Bengal government to ban Nasrin's book in 2003.[54] There was hate campaign against Taslima even among the writers, because she wrote about her intimate life story divulging her affairs with some men. And because some men happened to be known, so Taslima had to answer why she wrote about known people without their permission and some commented that she did it to earn fame. Taslima defended herself against all the allegations. She wrote why she dared not to hide her sexual relations,[55] she said that she wrote her life's story, not others'. Yet Nasrin enjoyed support of Bengali writers and intellectuals like Annada Shankar Ray, Sibnarayan Ray and Amlan Dutta.[56]

Recently she was supported and defended by personalities such as author Mahasweta Devi, theater director Bibhas Chakrabarty, poet Joy Goswami, artist Prakash Karmakar and Paritosh Sen.[57] In India, noted writers Arundhati Roy, Girish Karnad, and many others defended her when she was under house arrest in Delhi in 2007, and co-signed a statement calling on the Indian government to grant her permanent residency in India or, should she ask for it, citizenship.[58] In Bangladesh Showkat Osman (writer), Shamsur Rahman (poet) and Kabir Chaudhury (writer and philosopher)[59] also supported her strongly.

Charitable activities

Nasrin created the Edulwara scholarship in her mother's name to give scholarship (50,000-100,000 taka) to twenty female students of 7th to 10th grade from economically poor families in Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

She started an organisation called Dharmamukta Manab-bai mancha ("Humanist organisation free from religion") in Kolkata. The organisation's aim was to enlighten and spread secular education, and to fight for women's rights and a uniform and equal civil code.

Awards

Taslima has received a number of international awards in recognition of her uncompromising demand for freedom of expression. Awards and Honours given to her include the following:

Taslima Nasrin is receiving Ananda Award in 2000.

Bibliography

Books by Taslima Nasrin

Poetry

Essay collections

Novels

Short Stories

Autobiography

Titles in English

Secondary works

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chazan, David (1999-01-26). "World: South Asia: Taslima goes back into exile". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/263014.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Nasrin Sahak, Taslima: Bangladeshi author". Encyclopedia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/404019/Taslima-Nasrin. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  3. ↑ Huq, Ershadul (1998-10-15). "Taslima has to compromise, withdraw books to be pardoned". The Observer. http://www.hvk.org/articles/1098/0057.html. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  4. ↑ http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Nasrin.html
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Bangladeshi Writer Taslima Nasrin Speaks from Hiding: 'Condemned to Life as an Outsider'". The Guardian. 2007-11-30. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/nov/30/fiction. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Targett, Simon (1995-02-24). "She who makes holy men fume". Times Higher Education. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=96825&sectioncode=26. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  7. ↑ She described herself as a delegate of the NGO International Humanist and Ethical Union at Commission V of UNESCO's General Conference: "I was born in a Muslim family, but I became an atheist." Nasreen, Taslima (1999-11-12). "For freedom of expression". UNESCO. http://www.unesco.org/webworld/points_of_views/nasreen_121199.shtml. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  8. ↑ O'Connor, Ashling (2007-11-30). "Feminist author rewrites novel after death threats from Muslim extremists". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2978120.ece. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  9. ↑ "Bangladesh: A group called the Sahaba Soldiers; the goals and activities of the group; treatment of those who hold progressive religious and social views by the Sahaba Soldier members (1990-2003)". UNHCR. 2003-07-29. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,,QUERYRESPONSE,BGD,,3f7d4d5e7,0.html. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  10. ↑ Walsh, James; Farid Hossain, Anita Pratap, Jefferson Penberthy (1994-08-15). "Death To the Author". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,981247,00.html. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  11. ↑ "Bangladeshi author and doctor Taslima Nasreen threatened by Islamic fundamentalists". Fileroom. http://www.thefileroom.org/documents/dyn/DisplayCase.cfm/id/1058. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Richards, David (25 July 1998). "Home is where they hate you". The Nation. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-KwuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=czADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6488,3824580&dq=taslima+nasrin+passport+bangladesh&hl=en. Retrieved 8 March 2010. 
  13. ↑ Bavadam, Lyla (18–31 March 2000). "From Bangladesh, with courage". Frontline 17 (6). http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1706/17060430.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  14. ↑ Dam, Marcus (2007-11-26). "Kolkata is my home". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/26/stories/2007112650020100.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-30. 
  15. ↑ Bhaumik, Subir (2006-06-27). "Cleric quizzed over author threat". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5121548.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  16. ↑ "Conventions light up July 4 weekend". India Abroad. 2005-07-15. 
  17. ↑ "Indian Muslim Body Offers Reward for Killing a Female Journalist". Assyrian International News Agency. 2007-03-17. http://www.aina.org/news/20070317150229.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  18. ↑ "Taslima roughed up in Hyderabad". The Hindu. 2007-08-10. http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/10/stories/2007081058910100.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  19. ↑ "Target Taslima: No room for critics in Islam?". CNN-IBN. 2007-08-10. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/target-taslima-no-room-for-critics-in-islam/46563-3-single.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  20. ↑ Hossain, Rakeeb (2007-08-18). "Fatwa offers unlimited money to kill Taslima". Hindustan Times. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=5d562b17-64dc-4a90-8396-7cfcaea2d568&ParentID=ea13ac8f-a3d8-45a2-9eba-b56c9b73e87b&&Headline=Kolkata%27s+clerics+threaten+Taslima. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  21. ↑ "Army deployed after Calcutta riot". BBC News. 2007-11-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7105277.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Taslima Nasreen: Controversy's child". BBC News. 2007-11-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7108880.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  23. ↑ Ramesh, Randeep (2007-11-27). "Bangladeshi writer goes into hiding". The Guardian. http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2217704,00.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  24. ↑ "Shunned writer Taslima Nasreen arrives in Indian capital". DPA. 2007-11-23. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/146811.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  25. ↑ Bhaumik, Subir (2007-11-22). "Calcutta calm after day of riots". BBC News. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7106897.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  26. ↑ Vij-Aurora, Bhavna (2007-12-08). "Bad hair days, short of colour: Taslima misses beauty regime and machher jhol in 'house arrest'". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071209/asp/frontpage/story_8647669.asp. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  27. ↑ "Top French honour for Taslima Nasreen". Hindustan Times. 2008-01-14. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=33e08b94-5b71-4894-9072-2e1a1a8a927b. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  28. ↑ "Taslima says 'no' to Sarkozy’s invitation for French honour". The Statesman. 2008-01-25. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=2&id=214371&usrsess=1. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  29. ↑ "Taslima wants freedom in India". Reuters/New Age Front Page. 2008-02-19. http://www.newagebd.com/2008/feb/19/front.html#11. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  30. ↑ "'Freedom' in hospital, for three nights". The Telegraph. 2008-01-31. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080131/jsp/frontpage/story_8846277.jsp. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  31. ↑ "Amnesty help on Taslima sought". The Statesman. 2008-02-01. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=2&id=215033&usrsess=1. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  32. ↑ Bhattacharya, Kajari (2008-01-21). "I’ve lost all creative freedom: Taslima". The Statesman. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=1&id=213761&usrsess=1. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  33. ↑ A memory of home
  34. ↑ "Writer Taslima pledges body to Indian NGO". 2005-03-07. http://news.indiainfo.com/2005/03/07/0703taslima.html. Retrieved 2009-05-30. 
  35. ↑ Times Higher Education interview
  36. ↑ "Statement on Taslima Nasreen's departure from India". Mainstream. 2008-04-07. http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article631.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Radicals in Bangladesh Want Writer Put to Death". The State: p. 4A. 1993-09-25. 
  38. ↑ Ahmed, Anis (1993-10-31). "Bangladesh Author Has Bounty on Her Head". Chicago Tribune: p. 11. 
  39. ↑ Ahmed, Kamal (1999-08-13). "Bangladesh bans new Taslima book". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/419428.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  40. ↑ "Bangladesh bans third Taslima book". BBC News. 2002-08-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2218972.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  41. ↑ "Bengal bans Taslima's book". The Hindu. 2003-11-28. http://www.hindu.com/2003/11/29/stories/2003112905441100.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  42. ↑ Joshua, Anita (2004-02-18). "West Bengal Government assailed for banning Taslima's book". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/19/stories/2004021911291100.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  43. ↑ Dhar, Sujoy (2005). "Arts Weekly/Books: Split By Leftists and Fanatics". Inter Press Service. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=30522. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  44. ↑ "Court lifts ban on Nasreen's book in Bengal". Rediff.com. 2005-09-23. http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/23taslima.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  45. ↑ "Exiled Taslima Nasrin to return to Bangladesh". Indian Muslims. 2007-07-16. http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/jul/15/exiled_taslima_nasrin_return_bangladesh.html. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  46. ↑ "New book banned at behest of Islamic bigots: Taslima". Press Trust of India. 2004-02-20. http://news.indiainfo.com/2004/02/20/2002taslima.html. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  47. ↑ Magoria (1994-01-01). "Goddess in you Taslima". http://www.emusic.com/album/Magoria-The-Goddess-In-You-Taslima-MP3-Download/11251013.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  48. ↑ "Zebda: Taslima". Last.fm. http://www.last.fm/music/Zebda/_/Taslima. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  49. ↑ "Rebel with a cause: Screen On & Off". The Telegraph. 2006-04-27. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060427/asp/calcutta/story_6152141.asp. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  50. ↑ Huotari, Allen. "Steve Lacy: The Cry". All About Jazz. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=3652. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  51. ↑ Shoemaker, Bill (December 1997). "Steve Lacy: Making the Words Swing". JazzTimes. http://jazztimes.com/articles/24701-steve-lacy-making-the-words-swing. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  52. ↑ "Syed Shamsul Huq files Tk 10 cr defamation suit against Taslima". The Independent (Bangladesh). 2003-11-10. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-87045073.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  53. ↑ Habib, Haroon; Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay (2003-12-19). "A Shocker from Taslima: Taslima Nasreen's New Book Causes a Furore in the Literary Circles of Dhaka and Kolkata". Frontline. http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/subaltern/events/facworkshops/Habib.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  54. ↑ Fishing for trouble
  55. ↑ homeless everywhere
  56. ↑ "Taslima's visit to India". International Humanist and Ethical Union. 1999-10-28. http://www.iheu.org/node/106. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  57. ↑ Literati rise late to Taslima defence
  58. ↑ "Intellectuals Demand Indian Citizenship To Taslima Nasreen". Mainstream. 2008-02-24. http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article535.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
  59. ↑ Prof Kabir Chawdhury
  60. ↑ http://www.cncdh.fr/article.php3?id_article=120&var_recherche=taslima,
  61. ↑ http://www.humanite.fr/1994-11-05_Articles_-Taslima
  62. ↑ http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/28/001.html
  63. ↑ http://www.daad.de/alumni/en/4.2.4_10.html,/
  64. ↑ http://www.iheu.org/node/1948
  65. ↑ http://www.ibka.org/en/articles/rb02/award.html
  66. ↑ http://www.ffrf.org/awards/heroine/2002_nasrin.php
  67. ↑ http://www.hks.harvard.edu/cchrp/aboutus/pastfellows.php
  68. ↑ http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=23191&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
  69. ↑ Banerjee, Sudeshna (2005-04-30). "Bitter, Taslima stays afloat". The Telegraph (Kolkata). http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050501/asp/bengal/story_4683306.asp. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  70. ↑ http://www.crep.be/Prix2005.html
  71. ↑ "Le Groupe Femmes, Politique et Démocratie reçoit le prestigieux 'Prix Condorcet-Aron' du Centre de recherche et d’étude politique de Belgique". 2005-09-22. http://sisyphe.org/article.php3?id_article=1973. Retrieved 2009-06-01. 
  72. ↑ http://taslimanasrin.com/index2.html
  73. ↑ http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/party_hopping/feminist_press_celebrates_39th_anniversary_141110.asp

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