Click to play videoBangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen was attacked in Hyderabad by MLAs of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) when she was attending the book release of the Telugu translation of her latest novel Shodh.
The political party involved in the attack is completely unrepentant. It has in fact said that the MLAs should have rather killed her.
A Muslim daily has also wondered openly in an editorial, as to why the activists did not put Taslima to death.
Should this be seen as religious fanaticism or an effort to gain political mileage out of Taslima’s controversial writing? The incident is not an isolated one, nor is it the first of its kind.
Earlier this year Hindu activists disrupted an art exhibition at the Maharaja Sayajirao University (MS) University in Baroda for permitting a ‘nude’ painting be exhibited in the university. The Dean faced suspension and the artist who painted it was arrested.
And for that matter, fatwas against renowned artist M F Hussain who now lives in exile outside India due to the numerous death threats and cases against him for apparently insulting Hindu Goddesses should not go unmentioned.
All this paves way for only one question: Should art respect religion?
CNN-IBN show Face The Nation discussed the question with renowned author Amit Chaudhuri, chairperson, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Asiya Andrabi and artist Vivan Sundaram tackling the debate.
Diverse opinions on Taslima
A day after the outrageous attack on her, Taslima Nasreen admitted her apprehensions about the attackers intending to kill her. But she also said that the attack would not make her change her views or take back her writings.
The author who faces controversy for her latest novel Shodh plainly refuses that she would ever give up her writing or change her style to suit the Muslim hardliners.
Muslim intellectuals and leaders are however diverse opinions of the entire episode.
Moderate Muslims insist that the incident has nothing to do with religion. But members of the Indian Muslim Personal Law Board don't share the same opinion.
“She should not be allowed to stay even for a day in the country. If at all she may be on humanitarian grounds, she must be very clearly told the moral ethos of this country,” member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Kamal Farooqi told CNN-IBN.
And then there are many who feel that its not literature which Taslima is famous for. “There are a lot of people out there who want to hear that Islam is a religion of terror. That it runs down women and it is an intolerant religion. So Taslima’s work certainly plays up to a certain gallery,” said writer and activist Sadia Dehlvi.
Urvashi Butalia , the publisher who brought the first part of Taslima's autobiography in English titled My Girlhood under their imprint Kali for Women says it was her “brave voice, a voice of courage” that prompted her to send across this book to the masses.
Taslima Nasreen left her home country more than 10 years ago after the fatwas and threats grew louder against her. Now, even in India the Muslim hardliners want the women writer out of the country or worst be “dead.”
Freedom of expression or freedom to insult religion?
The allegation against Taslima Nasreen is that she is abusing Islam because it is earning her caches abroad. Taslima however, has told Muslim hardliners that she will continue to write exactly what she wants to write. “Nobody can stop me from writing what I want, “ was her clear verdict on the issue.
Her bravery is commendable but does that in a way reflect a Utopian view of freedom of expression? Can a person live in his own ‘ivory tower’ and seclude himself or herself from people’s opinions like these?
“No true writer or artist could ever intentionally create something to hurt or abuse others,” said artist Vivan Sundaram.
“I’m afraid that such a reaction comes out of extremism and violence which she has suffered. Taslima Nasreen is a fine creative writer. She can’t be that foolish as to disgrace religion just to gain publicity. The same applies to Husain as well,” he pointed out.
Though art is one of the cherished freedoms of our democracy, the numerous attacks on artists and their writing or paintings or other forms of art suggest that perhaps an artist does not enjoy unfettered freedom in the world’s largest Democracy.
“I don’t think there is anybody who believes in a concept such as unfettered freedom. Each of us seeks our own freedom. Artists are a little more sensitive to his entire concept of being free,” said Sundaram.
“Artists are not elitists. They are very much a part of the social fabric. They are deeply in touch with religion and mythology and a handful of people single out one little factor from their art, distort it and to push it as the dominant discourse,” he further added..
Taslima, a threat to Islam?
So is Islam so frail that a writer such as Salman Rushdie or Taslima Nasreen can damage it by a piece of writing?
Chairperson, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Asiya Andribi said, “Our religion is not weak. But we won’t let a Rushdie or Talima Nasreen to write against Prophet Mohammed and the moral values of Islam.”
On being asked why Muslim hardliner groups are so very threatened by Taslima Nasreen, she said, “We are not threatened by her. But we can’t allow her to go on like this. She is no threat to us. It’s us who are now going to be a big threat for her.”
Andrabi however, denied having any political motive behind the protest. “I am doing this for the safeguard of Islam. I don’t know what political mileage you are talking about?” she questioned.
One of the first words that Prophet Mohammed is supposed to have said in Quran is ‘Ikra’ or ‘read’, which mean ‘read the books’. Is it not then anti-religion to insult a book?
“Quran says read the book, but it only asks you to read positive things, not some thing that disgraces Islam. If a book brings out negative aspects of Islam, how can you call it genuine?” was Asiya’s question.
God-fearing artists do not disgrace religion
“I am very much with the modern world and I’m not against modernism but I’m against insult to our religion,” said Andrabi.
She said she has read both Taslima Nasreen and Salman Rushdie’s books. “I do not want to even talk about such vulgar and obscene books. They promote immorality in the society.”
“Physical violence against such people is justified,” she added. “They should be executed for insulting Islam,” she concluded.
Are writers sometimes guilty of creating controversies by insulting religion just for the sake of fame, short-term publicity and fortune?
Opposing the allegation author Amit Chaudhuri said, “No holy book whether it’s the Quran or the Bhagwat Geeta or the Bible can be more important than the integrity, safety and the dignity of a human being.”
So can one go and write a book on explicit subjects such as child abuse in the name of freedom of expression.
“If an author wishes to take his readers into the ambivalent territory. He must be allowed to do that,” said Chaudhry.
“Artists, writers or poets have a very intimate relationship with two things. One is the real and the other is the spiritual. They constantly try to bring the two things into the preview of art. Our own modern literature in Bengali begins with talking about Hindu Gods and Goddesses being appalling and yet being full of poetry. But does that mean contempt to religion? No that is not!” he pointed out.
The author said that the infatuation to the Gods and Goddesses is not physical reverence but an artistic, secular fascination with them.
According to Vivian, artists were reading carefully but it was the attitude of the fundamentalists that was taking on.
“The fundamentalists don’t represent the entire people. And besides a God-fearing person can never be a hooligan,” Vivian affirmed.
Chaudhuri said that people who have a problem with Taslima Nasreen’s writings should stop reacting to it.
“People should not react on behalf of generalised Islam. There is no such homogenous thing,” was his view.
He concluded by saying that Taslima Nasreen is not forcing anybody to read her books.
“If you don’t like her books, don’t read them,” he said.
Final sms poll results: Should art respect religion?
Yes- 56 per cent
No- 44 per cent
Taslima Nasreen, art, religion
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