Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 13:58:36 -0600 (MDT)
From: Rinita Mazumdar <rinita-AT-nmt.edu>
Subject: Re:  To Enrica...Re: Taslima Nasreen and her head


Manjusree,
Thank you. For me Feminism stands for more than just women's rights.
It is class and ecological struggle.

Behula was just a simple symbol of that,

Rinita

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 >Symbolism is a patriarchal conceptualization of an exaggerated and
 >self-delusional image of itself.  I think that Ms. Nasreen has
 >out-patriarched the patriarchy.  
 >
 >However, if indeed women, in our struggles, require a symbol of a woman
 >fighting for the rights of all women, we already have Behula...to whom
 >Dr. Rinita Mazumdar's poem has done elegant justice.
 >
 >-Manjusree
 >
 >
 >Enrica Garzilli wrote:
 >> 
 >> iview-AT-technologist.com wrote:
 >> >
 >> > Partha,
 >> >
 >> > I oppose Ms. Nasreen's tactics...anyone who leaves out her sisters is
 >> > suspect in my eyes.  Secondly, she has my support if in fact she speaks
 >> > also for her sisters who have equally opposed fundamentalists.  I didn't
 >> > find that evident in her letter to the world's myriad and complex
 >> > Governments to save her.  I pray they can.  She seems mightily
 >> > self-righteous about visiting her ailing mother in Bangladesh.  Such
 >> > dramatics don't impress me.
 >> >
 >> > I really don't see your point about international support for her and
 >> > her being exempt...I never suggested she is exexmpt from receiving world
 >> > support to save her.  I simply don't support her sensationalist tactics
 >> > that seem to catapult her to center stage.  Of course I oppose
 >> > fundamentalists, fanatics, fascists yadda, yadda, yadda...and if as you
 >> > say we don't get "befooled...by...bigots," that's news to me!
 >> >
 >> > -Manjusree
 >> >
 >> > Partha Banerjee wrote:
 >> > >
 >> > > I have my own reservations about Taslima, her sensationalism (and bad
 >> > > writing), and all. However, that does not exempt her from getting our
 >> > > support from an international arena. This is all we can do to support her
 >> > > voice of dissent and oppose barbarism practised by fundamentalists and
 >> > > fanatics and fascists. We do it in Bangladesh, we do it in India, we do it
 >> > > in USA. And we don't get befooled by double standards and
 >> > > confusion-creating tactics of the bigots.
 >> > > __________
 >> > >
 >> > > >Partha,
 >> > > ...
 >> > > >I feel that Taslima Nasreen should not have left her bangladeshi
 >> > > >sister writers in the dust in her own climb towards international fame
 >> > > >and acclaim...she seems to have a tendency to turn to those who support
 >> > > >sensationalism vs those who support universal human rights.
 >> > > >
 >> > > >Lest anyone misundertand me and think me cold-blooded and heartless, I'm
 >> > > >actually moved by Ms. Nasreen's plea to other Governments, and I hope
 >> > > >the outrageous death threat against her cannot be carried out.  The
 >> > > >thought occurs to me, nevertheless, that perhaps she might also turn to
 >> > > >her sister writers who have not only made greater contributions to
 >> > > >bangla literature, but have struggled even harder in protesting
 >> > > >oppression and abuse of Islamic women without leaving Bangladesh.  I
 >> > > >don't presume to know statistics but base my comments on recollections
 >> > > >of my readings by literary analysts and exchanges with other writers.  I
 >> > > >pray for her life and her mother's good health.
 >> > > >
 >> > > >Best regards,
 >> > > >
 >> > > >-Manjusree
 >> 
 >> I have interviewd her and had the opportunity to talk to her for quite
 >> some time informally.
 >> I asked her about her relationship with feminist groups in Bangladesh
 >> and India. She told me that many of them wanted to use her name to have
 >> publicity, to become famous. That's very possible.
 >> However, I also had the impression of a certain ambiguity from her and a
 >> certain will to be "the first", to be the heroine of the situation (I
 >> have written all that in the report of the JSAWS, and her lecture, and
 >> reported the recorded  reaction of people present.)
 >> Like a hero, she wants to be isolated and alone. She wants to fight by
 >> herself. For sure she is very childish... (besides the opportunity to be
 >> alone in terms of results)
 >> However, she is a symbol. That is important, not HER private figure and
 >> personality. Sho cares of her in person?
 >> The importance is in people who fights not in her name but taking her
 >> name as a symbol of funfamentalists' oppression and prevarication.
 >> WHat do you think about it?
 >> 
 >> Enrica
 >> --
 >> Dr. Enrica Garzilli                 University of Perugia (ITALY)
 >> Istituto di Linguistica                      Piazza Morlacchi, 11
 >> 06123 Perugia                  Tel./Fax: +39-75-585 3755 (office)
 >> Editor-in-Chief,
 >> Intl. Journ. of Tantric Studies, Journal of S. Asia Women Studies
 >> htpp://www.asiatica.org/
 >> *****************************************************************
 >