Interview: 'Islamists may hijack Arab Spring' - Taslima Nasrin

Taslima Nasrin, you're a qualified doctor, you're a poet, a writer, an activist and a feminist. You're despised by some Muslim extremists. Which part of all of the things you do do they dislike the most? They dislike that I say that Islam is not compatible with women's rights, human rights, secularism and democracy. But Muslims all over the world, Muslim fundamentalists, hate me. Not only Muslim fundamentalists, but also misogynists, male chauvinists. They do not like that I am fighting for women's rights. You've had a number of fatwas against you. I counted four, but there may be more. That's an awful lot of condemnation. It must be quite a terrifying existence, surely. I think so. I was thrown out of Bangladesh 17 years ago. I have been living in exile for 17 years. I moved to India a few years ago and then I was thrown out of India again by the Indian government. Only last year I got permission to live in India. But it's very difficult to live in India surrounded by all these fundamentalists and misogynists, but I think that my fight is very important. It's for raising consciousness. We've seen the Arab Spring, and some women's groups in North Africa are saying, 'Now we have our chance to take a place in society.' Do you feel that will happen or is there a fear that more extreme Islamic elements are involved in those revolutions and might stop that happening? Yeah. Those corrupt dictators were at least secular. Now I'm not very optimistic that democracy in Arab countries will bring secular people to power. I think the Islamists will try to get into power and they will not give women any chance... to be their partners in the government. So they will try to create a theocracy. And they will leave women at home. Women will not have any chance. You've been lauded in the West. You received the Sakharov Prize in 1994. You've received other awards too. I presume the fundamentalists in the Islamic countries see that as a sign that you are a tool of the West and against them. Has it helped you or hindered you in the work you're doing to give women equal rights? Yes, there are people who always try to say that because she spoke against Islam she is loved by the West. But I always say that it's not a fight between the West and Islam. The conflict is somewhere else. There is a conflict. The conflict is between secularism and fundamentalism, between irrational blind faith and rational logical minds, between the people who value freedom and those who do not. It's not a fight between West and East or Islam and Christianity. No. It is a fight between rational logical minds and irrational blind faith. The fight will continue. In Bangladesh and India there are many women who are really becoming very courageous. Many people say it's the Taslima effect, because they're convinced by what I wrote, that women should fight the misogynists, the male chauvinists, the religious fundamentalists or religionists, to stand on their own two feet. Those are the forces which will always try to prevent women from getting their equal rights. Taslima Nasrin, thank you very much and congratulations on the work you've done. Thank you very much. EuroparlTV video ID: d7fbe9cf-eb82-401a-8038-9fa400efe2ac

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