Editorial

Women against fundamentalism

Three recent cases illustrate the plight of women persecuted by Islamic fundamentalists. Taslima Nasrin from Bangladesh, Lindsey Colley from Mauritius and Homa Darabi from Iran have all suffered deeply for their courage to express their sincerely-held views freely.

Taslima Nasrin is a celebrated writer who also holds humanist views. She was alleged to have said in a newspaper interview that the Koran should be revised thoroughly. The statement was said to be blasphemous and she has been charged with outraging religious feeling.

In face, she said that the Sharia law needed reforming, reflecting a long-standing demand for reform of personal law by the women’s movement. Muslim groups have deliberately formented the misunderstanding and organised large protest meetings at which there have been calls for Taslima Nasrin’s death. She is now in hiding.

Lindsey Colley in Mauritius is a well-known writer and author of the novel The Rape of Sita. The Hindu Council have objected extremely to this title, since Sita as well as being a common name is also the name of a character in the Ramayana that symbolises purity and virtue. The book is about sexual violence against women and women’s rights in general. It has not been read by the protesters, but has been received by others as an important work of literature.

The Prime Minister in this secular state has declared the novel blasphemous and action is being taken under a section of the Criminal code that carry a one-year jail sentence.

A third example is that of a woman in Iran who burned herself to death after losing her academic post and protesting against the treatment of women in Iran.

These cases are not simply a matter of religious conflict. They are a matter of human rights. The right to self-expression and sincere criticism of religion is a human right and should be defended across the world against the persecution of women struggling for women’s rights.