From: iview-AT-technologist.com
Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 00:32:56 -0700
Subject: Re: Taslima Nasreen and her head


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