Bengali Muslim Cleric Hate
Cleric wants Taslima Nasreen`s face blackened
June 27, 2006
Kolkata, June 25: A leading
Muslim cleric today issued a fatwa that the face of controversial Bangladeshi
writer Taslima Nasreen be blackened for her alleged comments against Islam and
demanded that she be immediately expelled from India.
In a live interaction with Taslima on a local Bengali TV channel, the Imam of
the Tipu Sultan mosque, Noorul Rahman Barkati, said he had issued the fatwa
against the author for her comments against Islam and its Prophet.
Barkati also said that he had offered a reward of Rs 50,000 for anybody who
would blacken Taslima`s face as he urged authorities to immediately deport her
to Bangladesh.
Taslima, who fled Bangladesh several years ago following threats to her life by
fundamentalists there, has been living in Kolkata for the last one year.
During the interaction, Taslima denied having said anything against Islam or
insulted Prophet Mohammed, but said that she is living in a democracy where
freedom of expression is guaranteed to everybody.
She also said that she was fighting for the rights of women and she would
continue to do so.
"In a democratic country one does not have the right to gag somebody by issuing
a fatwa," Taslima said.
The latest controversy over Taslima was sparked off by some of her comments
during a seminar earlier this month on "irrelevence of religion in the era of
technology'' which had prompted some Muslims in the audience to walk out of the
seminar hall in protest.
The author had yesterday clarified that her comments during the seminar had been
distorted to the advantage of fundamentalist organisations.
Security was tightened by the city police at the residence of the 44-year-old
Bangladeshi writer after the controversy broke out.
Bureau Report