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The Taslima Nasrin Controversy and Feminism in Bangladesh: a Geo-Political and Transnational Perspective1

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The Taslima Nasrin Controversy and Feminism in Bangladesh: a Geo-Political and Transnational Perspective1 The Taslima Nasrin Controversy And Feminism In Bangladesh: A Geo-Political And Transnational Perspective1 Habiba Zaman ABSTRACT Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi writer, attracted international attention in 1994 when an obscure religious fundamentalist group issued a fatwa sentencing her to death and demanding her trial on charges of blasphemy. This paper discusses the Nasrin controversy in the context of post-colonial religious fundamentalism, communalism, and feminist issues in South Asia. RESUME Talima Nasrin, une ecrivaine bangladaise, a attire l'attention du monde entier en 1994 lorsqu'un groupe fondamentaliste d'une religion obscure avait lance un fatwa la condamnant a mort et demandant son proces pour blaspheme. Cet article discute de la controverse Nasrin dans le contexte religieux fondamentaliste post-colonial, I'esprit communautaire, et les questions feministes dans I'Asie du Sud. In 1994, at the height of the Taslima media presented Bangladesh as an Iranian-style Nasrin controversy, the New Yorker and the London theocracy where women are oppressed because of Review of Books published two fairly long pieces Islam and described Nasrin, who spoke out, as a on her saga (Weaver 1994; Wright 1994). victim of a fundamentalist attack (Wright 1994). Knowing that as a Bangladeshi woman I would be Nasrin was quoted as saying: "I will not be interested, a mentor and friend of mine sent the silenced. Everywhere I look I see women being clippings to me with a note that read: mistreated and their oppression justified in the name of religion. Is it not my moral responsibility Now I wait to read what a Bangladesh to protest?" (Outlook 1994, 25). woman will have to say about Nasreen The wide publicity about Nasrin across (she sounds pretty headlong, headstrong to nations within a short span of time deserves closer me and not quite mature!). One would attention and analysis. To me, there are serious think she'd learn something of wisdom problems with the setting up or targeting, by the rather than anger from three marriages!! Western press, of Nasrin as a symbol of freedom of Eh?2 expression and of women's rights. The way the Western press has presented her and the whole Until 1993, Nasrin3 was largely unknown issue is inherently misleading for a variety of outside Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. reasons: (i) it presents Bangladesh as a uni- Nasrin attracted international attention in May 1994 dimensional theocracy; (ii) it ignores a complex when an obscure fundamentalist group issued a history of colonial and post-colonial legacies and fatwa (religious sanction)4 sentencing Nasrin to the divisive politics of the sub-continent; (iii) it death, put a bounty of taka 50,000 (US$1,250) on overlooks the long and rich history of women's rights and human rights activists and the skepticism her head and demanded her trial on charges of with which feminists view her "cause" in blasphemy. The Western media immediately Bangladesh. labelled her a Bangladeshi "female Salman Rushdie" (MacWilliam 1994). The international I argue in this paper that a combination of colonial and post-colonial legacies and divisive (Hossain 1995; Sarkar and Butalia 1995; politics in the sub-continent (Bangladesh, India and Jayawardena and De Alwis 1996). Pakistan) presented Nasrin to the West as an ardent I agree with Jayawardena and De Alwis advocate of women's rights, a lone fighter against (1996), who state that while national liberation religious fundamentalism - particularly Islamic struggles were often positive for women, post- fundamentalism. First, I explore post-colonial, colonial nationalism in South Asia "took on a transnational, feminist discourses in the context of chauvinist hue, tinged with misogyny" (xii). As a religious fundamentalism, communalism,5 and result, violence and atrocities against women - for feminist issues in South Asia, particularly example, sati and dowry deaths in India, acid Bangladesh and India. Second, I introduce Nasrin's burning, rape, trafficking in women in Bangladesh - case through her writings, then describe the are still on the rise (Ashworth 1995; Zaman 1998). publication of her novel, Lajja,'' and look at How is religious fundamentalism juxtaposed with subsequent events along religious, socio-political, the rise in violence against women in contemporary and transnational lines. Third, I explore the role of South Asian societies? Sangari and Vaid argue: the international media in creating Nasrin as a champion of anti-Islam and presenting her as the ... far from enjoying the benefits of so- sole feminist in Bangladesh. Fourth, I outline the called development, the majority of complexities of communal, as well as state, politics women have in fact been pushed to the in the sub-continent, the geo-political history of margins of the production process. Bangladesh, and the activities of post-colonial and Alongside this "invisible" economic transnational social forces. Finally, I look at the process, there is a visible escalation of actions of women's groups around the Nasrin issue. communal conflicts and an increasing politicization of "religious" identities. These later developments have given a FEMINIST THEORIZING: POST- new lease of life to patriarchal practices COLONIAL AND TRANSNATIONAL under "religious" sanction. (1989, 2) ISSUES In their recent work on feminist During the British colonial rule and the genealogies, A lexander and Mohanty (1997) favour national independence movements in the sub• taking a "local feminist praxis," but suggest that continent, religion was used as a powerful weapon "we also need to understand the relation to larger, by both Hindu and Muslim leadership against each cross-national processes" (xix). Looking at the other and against the British. The independence communal revivalism and the violence against movement created a vision for social justice and women in Bangladesh and India, one can find democracy, promising to provide full rights to transnational processes involving politics and religious minorities and women. However, the post- religion influencing every level of social existence. colonial nation-states of Bangladesh, India and The case of Taslima Nasrin can perhaps be better Pakistan quickly consolidated their geographical understood in this transnational context, and I and political power, leading ultimately to the birth develop this later in the paper. An analysis of of religious revivalism. Since 1990, there has been transnational geo-politics is convenient for a an alarming spread of religious fundamentalism number of purposes - it acknowledges "a purely across nations in South Asia. The demolition of the locational politics of global-local;" it cross-cuts Babri mosque in India in 19927 and the ensuing national boundaries; and persuasively challenges massacre of Muslim minorities in several states of the construction of "inadequate and inaccurate India, as well as atrocities against Hindus in binary and divisions" (Grewal and Kaplan 1994, Bangladesh and Pakistan, reflect the continuing 13). As Grewal and Kaplan convincingly argue: politics of communalism in post-colonial states Transnational linkages influence every in the society. level of social existence. Thus the effects Most of Nasrin's writings are grounded in of configurations of practices at those her own and others' experience within the context levels are varied and historically specific. of wider social life, and she juxtaposes personal and (1994, 13) larger social issues. For instance, by recollecting and rearticulating her own/other people's memories, NASRIN AS A WRITER, POET AND Nasrin exposes the brutality of the Pakistani army COLUMNIST which violated women's minds and bodies during the Liberation War. These crimes were never Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi physician, brought to the International War Crime Tribunal has been writing on women's issues since the System for various geo-political reasons. In the 1980s. Between 1989 and 1994, she authored following extract translated by writer Shamsui nineteen books and wrote columns for various local Islam, Nasrin does not write down her own war daily and weekly newspapers. Of the books, seven story, but reconstructs someone else's to show the were novels, one was a collection of short stories, pervasiveness of violence against women - and the seven were collections of poems, and four were consequences: volumes of articles previously published as newspaper columns. Her straightforward and Of my three maternal uncles involved in provocative style made her well known and the freedom struggle only two returned controversial in Bangladesh. For example, her from the camp after sixteen days of book, Nirbachita Kolam (Selected Writings), was captivity. Of our neighbours who were on the best-seller list in Bangladesh and more than part of the struggle, some lost their arms 100,000 copies were sold in 1992. while others lost their legs. Still, all Typically, Nasrin's writings attack the relatives and near ones were thrilled to status quo, religion, and men as agents of have these people back. However, nobody oppression. A recurrent theme in her writing is wanted my aunt to return, as if they would sexual discrimination and violence prevalent be happier in her absence ... for sixteen against women in Bangladesh. She uses graphic continuous days my aunt was locked up in language to express herself and to depict the a dark cell and repeatedly raped by ten situation of women in the country. In 1993, J. P. lustful pro-Pakistani male animals. Our Das translated some examples from Nirbachita society is not proud of such aunts.... Each Kolam. Here is one example: one of us has accepted the damages of war, the gruesome torture inflicted by A lucky man's wife dies, an unlucky man's boots and rifle butts, even the horrors of cattle dies. ... If your wife dies, you can death. But we have not accepted the get another wife. But if you lose your accidents [sic] called rape ... my aunt, to cattle, you do not get free cattle. For new protect herself from further shame and cattle you have to pay hard cash, whereas disrespect, hanged herself from the ceiling a new wife brings some cash.
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