Female Writer Attacked By Half-wits

A brave woman.

Exiled Bangladeshi female writer attacked by Muslims in India

Angry Muslim protesters on Thursday manhandled controversial exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin while she was attending the release of her book in southern India and told her to go back to her country.

Nasrin escaped unhurt as the organizers pushed back about 100 protesters, led by three lawmakers, in Hyderabad. In the melee, one of the protesters slapped her, according to witnesses.

The protesters, belonging to the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, a political party in Andhra Pradesh state, burst into the local Press Club shouting slogans describing Nasrin as "anti-Muslim" and "anti-Islam."

They ransacked the venue, throwing chairs in the air and overturning the tables.
Nasrin fled Bangladesh in 1994 when Islamic extremists threatened to kill her after an Indian newspaper quoted her as saying changes must be made to the Islamic holy book, the Quran, to give women more rights.

She has vehemently denied making the comments, but still faces death threats from Islamic hard-liners in Bangladesh, where one of her books is banned.

"Our protest is against Taslima Nasrin because of her writings ridiculing Islam. We want the Indian government to send her back to Bangladesh," said Ahmad Pasha Quadri, one of the lawmakers, on Thursday.

Nasrin was in Hyderabad for the launch of her book "Shodh" (Getting Even) in the local Teulgu language.

Police detained all the nearly 100 protesters, including the three lawmakers, said N. Madhusudan Reddy, the deputy commissioner.

After fleeing Bangladesh, Nasrin lived in Sweden for several years but eventually moved to India, where she has lived in Calcutta for the last two years. She has applied for Indian citizenship or a permanent resident status.

In 2004, the Bangladeshi government banned her Bengali-language book "Shei Shab Andhakar" ("Those Dark Days") for what it said were objectionable comments about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

Angry Muslims. Is there any other kind that make the headlines these days?