04-05-2025
‘Terrorism will stay as long as Islam is there': Exiled Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasrin on Pahalgam attack
Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin on Sunday compared the Pahalgam terror attack to the 2016 Dhaka cafe siege, saying 'terrorism will stay as long as Islam is there.'
According to news agency PTI, while speaking at the Delhi Literature Festival, the Lajja author remarked, 'Islam has not evolved in 1,400 years.' She added, "Until it does, it will continue to breed terrorists. In the 2016 Dhaka attack, Muslims were slaughtered because they could not recite the Kalma. This is what happens when faith is allowed to overrule reason and humanity."
The Pahalgam attack on April 22 claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. On July 1, 2016, terrorists had stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, leaving 29 dead.
Taslima Nasrin also criticised the expansion of religious institutions, stating, "In Europe, churches have turned into museums, but Muslims are busy building mosques everywhere. There are thousands and they still want more. What they produce are jihadists. There should be no madrasas. Children must read all books, not just one."
Forced into exile in 1994 after being accused of blasphemy, Nasrin has since lived in Sweden, the US, and India. She shared her emotional connection to India, saying, "I am a permanent resident of the United States and lived there for 10 years, but I always felt like an outsider. It was only when I came to Kolkata that I felt at home. Even after being thrown out of West Bengal, I found another home in Delhi. This country has given me a sense of belonging that my own country could not."
"I love India. It feels like home," she added.
Turning her attention to women's rights, Nasrin criticised the situation in her homeland and expressed support for legal reform. "Every civilised country must have a UCC. India too. I support it. Islamic patriarchs want Quranic rights. Rights must never be religious. If women's security is compromised in the name of culture, religion or tradition, then we must question that culture. A society that cannot protect half of its population is a failed society," she said.
