Debate over Taslima

The sheer outrage on display over Taslima Nasreen’s writings evident in the Urdu press has now been more or less replaced by a debate on the matter. On December 1 Delhi-based daily Hindustan Express reported how the general secretary of the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind and MP, Mahmood Madani, has ‘forgiven’ the author, saying, “The chapter of opposing Taslima Nasreen must now be closed.” On December 2, Delhi’s Shahi Imam was quoted in the same paper as saying, “The pardon to the universally defamed author is rebellion against the Shariat.” He added: “Without a written public apology, her presence in the country is intolerable to 25 crore Indian Muslims.” Akhbar-e-Mashriq, the Kolkata and Delhi-based daily, wrote in an editorial on December 2: “Eventually, Taslima Nasreen has come to her senses. Prophet Mohammed always forgave his enemies and now that the author has agreed to remove the controversial portions from the book, we should follow the Prophet’s path and forgive Taslima. Muslims should not get distracted by unnecessary controversies, and they should focus on their own development and well being, even though severe opposition to how Taslima has attacked Islam should have been mounted.” National Herald’s Qaumi Awaz in an editorial on November 29 wrote: “Belief in God and the Prophet should not be so weak that criticism by a Taslima or Salman Rushdie would demolish the faith. Human history is witness to this.” Aziz Burney, editor, Rashtriya Sahara, in a signed front-page editorial (November 28) has criticised her prose as “risque” and something “not in sync with the culture in South Asia and pure pornography.” The paper maintains that her “writing style, subject and content matters, her religion is not an issue.”

US hand?

Jamaat-e-Islami’s biweekly mouthpiece, Daawat, on November 25 wrote that “emergency and democracy are poles apart. They cannot be brought together.” The paper holds that “the manner in which the US is talking with regard to the declaration of emergency in Pakistan gives rise to the suspicion that the US is behind the emergency being called.” This view is echoed in the Hyderabad-based Rahnuma-e-Deccan, expressed in an editorial (November 22) entitled, “Pakistan ke haalaat ke liye, America zimmedaar”. The paper says, “Both Bush and Musharraf have failed in Pakistan, and a failed and unpopular dictator can hardly lead his country, and is unlikely to succeed in future too.” Lucknow-daily Qaumi Khabrein, on November 17, in an editorial entitled ‘Teen Pervez’, wrote of Pervez Musharraf donning three roles, and General Kiyani also being cast in an image of Musharraf!

... contd.

Ads By Google

Message*	Maximum characters allowed

Name*		Email ID*
Subject*		Country*

TERMS OF USE:
The views, opinions and comments posted are your, and are not endorsed by this website. You shall be solely responsible for the comment posted here. The website reserves the right to delete, reject, or otherwise remove any views, opinions and comments posted or part thereof. You shall ensure that the comment is not inflammatory, abusive, derogatory, defamatory &/or obscene, or contain pornographic matter and/or does not constitute hate mail, or violate privacy of any person (s) or breach confidentiality or otherwise is illegal, immoral or contrary to public policy. Nor should it contain anything infringing copyright &/or intellectual property rights of any person(s).

I agree to the terms of use.