Taslima Nasreen:
Gone with the wind !!!!

Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq

[10/31/2001; This was written in response to "Poems of Taslima Nasrin"]

I am rather new to Aalaap and therefore I plead ignorance in regard to many aspects of it. However, reviewing its archive and following its threads in recent months, I am somewhat confused about the recent introduction of Taslima Nasreen related material.

 

Of course, on all the things we have "aalaap", there is nothing unusual about any such thread, including Taslima Nasreen, except that I didn't quite understand the contextuality of the two recent posts related to her. One was about her poem "Border" and the other was about the open letter of Rushdie to Taslima, from one shameful - or is it shameless, I can't quite decide - to the other.

 

A. Border - or against the Border?

 

The poem of Taslima - Border - is an interesting one. Evidentially, in her thought and life she has never liked any border or boundary. While preaching the message of freedom and humanity, she does present to humanity an interesting dimension of many among us, as we struggle with the challenges, maladies and agonies of life.

 

There are genuinely oppressive aspects of our societies and those must be dealt with. However, the fact of the matter is that her rebellion against her alleged or perceived oppression and persecution has been most vacuous as her own life is a vivid and painful illustration for the rest of the society. In marriages - she had plenty of those and most of those at her own choice - she could not find peace or happiness. Sexually liberated, the ulimate liberation of all, she savored the love -arguably only the carnal part - buzzing like a bee from one lover to another.

 

In all probability in those societies that are not quite free or liberated, there are women who probably feel the same way chained, repressed or even persecuted. But not too many are as boisterous, as shameless (or, is it SHAMEful - LAJJAkor), as brazen as she is. Thus, her words may represent the repressed voice of many that might be all around us.

 

As Taslima articulates in her poem, Border, the family life has become a prison for herself. Her call to freedom is unabashed. Husband is like a guard, a block to her freedom. Child pulling the Sari-end is of no consequence. She is FREE or she must be.

 

I'm going to move ahead.
Behind me my whole family is calling,
my child is pulling at my sari-end,
my husband stands blocking the door,
BUT I WILL GO.

She must move ahead with or at the call of humanity. But again, what really is humanity - without family, spouse or especially children - one can only wonder.

 

There's nothing on the other side of the river
but a vast expanse of fields,
but I'll touch THIS EMPTINESS once
and run against  the wind, whose whooshing sound
makes me want to dance.  I'll dance someday
and then return.

Where is she going? What is this attraction to EMPTINESS that she desperately wants to touch?

I've not played keep-away for years
AS I DID IN CHILDHOOD.
I'll raise a great commotion playing keep-away someday
and then return.

Is there a biological process generally called growing up? How many of us would like to be so fascinated with childhood so that once again we can relive our childhood without any sense of responsibility, or enjoy the diapered life, or playing with dolls or toys?

There's nothing ahead but a river
and I know how to swim.
Why shouldn't I go?  I'll go.

Sure, Taslima Nasreen. Sure you'll go. Actually you have already gone. Husband(s) could not block you. Child(ren) could not pull you back. Family, the chain or the prison, could not hold you. Thus, why shouldn't you go? Yes, you have gone, because you knew "how to swim". But have we ever thought that just because all the things we CAN do does not necessarily mean that we should?

The most curious aspect of her poem is a recurrent theme that she expects or intends to "return." After touching the EMPTINESS, dancing against the wind, playing the keep-aways of childhood, she assures us that she will return. But who will wait for her? The family that she abandoned? The husband who blocked her pathway? The child who pulled her Sari-end? The nation to which she presented Shame (Lajja)?

The poem, border, is just a poem of emptiness. It is a call toward emptiness, and if she just returns, emptiness is what will greet her. She did not really offer any positive moral choice or constructive paradigm of choice. Hers is merely a vacuous rebellion.

BUT I WILL GO ... Why shouldn't I go? I'll go.

Sure, you'll. But what do you expect your family ("whole family" - your father, mother, brother, sister), your husband(s), and children (if you had any?) to say in response? Well, you're GONE WITH THE WIND. They, whom you left behind, might say in regard to your wishful return from the journey to emptiness, as Captain Butler did, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." [Sorry readers, I rarely use this kind of word, but it's not really my words. I hope the context would be understood.]

B. The Open Letter from one Shameless (or SHAMEful?) to the other

That was the other piece that recently appeared on Aalaap and I couldn't quite understand its contextuality either.

Salman and Taslima, of course, are two of a kind. I hope the readers are aware that both of them have written books under the title Shame (Lajja). Many have wondered that they could be an excellent match for each other. Who knows someday the author of two different Shame might conjoin with each other to the delight of many of their admirers.

One thing that drew my attention was a clear lie or misrepresentation of Salman Rushdie in his open letter. Of course, his highly imaginative ways know no bound in terms of truth or falsehood, as, after all, his domain is of SATANIC Verses.

Rushdie wrote: "You are accused of having said that the Koran should be revised (though you have said that you were referring only to Islamic religious code)."

No, Mr. Rushdie, she was not ACCUSED of having said that the Koran should be revised. She actually said it and it was reported not by any of her adversaries or bigoted opponents. Rather, one of the leading Calcutta newspapers, among her patrons-friends-promoters, quoted her in an interview with her.

New York Times, generally on the side of Rushdie-Nasreen duo, wrote: "But anger turned to outrage only after Ms. Nasreen was quoted in a Calcutta newspaper as having commented that "the Koran should be thoroughly revised." [Barry Bearak, "Defiant Author, Dying Mother and Wrath of Islam," http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/asia/102898bangla-writer.html]

Even the Amnesty International that stood in her defense had this to say. "On 9 May 1994, The Statesman, an English-language newspaper published in Calcutta, quoted Taslima Nasreen as having said that the Koran should be thoroughly revised.
[http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aipub/1994/ASA/130994.ASA.txt]

So, is Salmad Rushdie lying or misrepresenting? It should not really matter, because that would be holding him to a too high a standard.

By the way, I must clarify that whatever is my feeling about these two personalities and their works, my views about those who want the heads of these two are already public. Just as I am not fans of these two personalities, I am categorically against the Fatwa-wielding "Reactionary Religionists". My approach is of the Rebel one's, the Bouquet Approach. [Read Bouquet: From the Kazi's Court.] There is no reason why she should not be able to safely return to Bangladesh as part of her birthright. We need to rise above the mob mentality, a pervasive disease among a cross section of religionists and secularists in our society.

Our societies have many shameful aspects. Long before her, someone closer to the ethos of our society drew our attention to our shames. [See SHAME: The first and real one, but we did not listen!] However, often loud claims without knowing what someone is talking about can be a real shame.

One of the areas Taslima Nasreen often has spoken out against is how in our society often parents impose their choice of bride or groom on their kids. Obviously, she did not know that in Islam the choice of bride or groom squarely rests with the respective bride and groom. There is room for and significant value of family's input and consultation. However, any marriage that is due to an imposition is simply incompatible with Islam, and legally can be null and void. As a Muslim I knew this right and I chose whom I was going to marry. She was someone special I fell in love with. I informed my parents, and I did marry the person whom I myself chose. It was the same with my beloved life-partner. To exercise this right, I did not have to call for the revision in the Qur'an. My daughters are also educated about their human and Islamic rights that they themselves will choose their life partners. Should they desire our input or consultation, we would always be there for them. However, the decision is theirs and it has to come from them.

There are borders that we must cross or break. But there are also borders that we must respect. Otherwise, it's merely dancing against the wind, and soon one will be "Gone with the Wind." That does not mean that our society does not need reform or positive change. It really does. Our works are cut out for us. But that's not going to come through vacuous rebellion; it is going to take empathic, positive engagement. It is going to be through our love and commitment to our family, not through dancing in the utopia of emptiness.

---

HOME
Index of my writings
Have you visited my site on Kazi Nazrul Islam?
Genocide 1971 Page?
Hadith Humor Page?

Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism
Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin
Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism Bangladesh Feminism