Taslima Nasreen Tweets Herself Into Trouble
Pierre Verdy/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Taslima Nasreen in Paris in 1994, a year after her book was first published in Bengali.
Taslima Nasreen, the Delhi-based Bangladeshi author, tweeted her way into a new controversy in Nepal. Ms. Nasreen, famous for her feminist outlook and for her criticism of Islamic tenets, was scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on Saturday for the launch of the English translation of her book “Lajja” at a literary festival. The four-day Nepal Literature Festival, the country’s first, ended on Sunday.
“My Nepali friends, I missed my flight to go to Kathmandu today. I forgot to bring my passport as I didn’t consider Nepal a foreign country!” she tweeted on Saturday. The comment stirred up a storm, especially among hurt Nepalese fans. Social media websites were soon flooded with comments ridiculing what many interpreted as a sign of her poor knowledge of world geography.
Ms. Nasreen said she was “shocked and hurt” by the reactions to her comments, especially since she felt close to Nepal as a country. “An exiled homeless writer, I feel people who love/support me-are my home. I got love from Nepal that made me feel at home! My emotions get mocked,” she tweeted. Ms. Nasreen was forced to leave Bangladesh in 1994 after she published the first edition of Lajja, a novel that is critical of Islam and that was originally written in Bengali.
Although Ms. Nasreen initially rescheduled her visit to Sunday, organizers of the festival persuaded her to cancel the trip, expressing concern for her safety following the controversial tweet. “Taslima’s fans were eagerly awaiting her arrival, some of whom had specially purchased her books to be personally autographed. However, after the tweet, many refused to come for the event and even threatened to stage protests,” festival director Ajit Baral told India Real Time on Monday. Police in Kathmandu also advised festival organizers to cancel the author’s book launch to avoid unrest. “Her remark has deeply hurt sentiments of her fans and supporters in Kathmandu” Mr. Baral added.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nasreen lashed out at the Nepalese and Indian media, tweeting on Sunday that her comment had been “misinterpreted and blown out of proportion.”
“Media is lying. They’re trying to make me look stupid. I never said Nepal was part of India,” she said on Twitter. While some fans sided with her, some critics tweeted back that this was just another “publicity stunt.” Ms. Nasreen, who is known for sparking controversies, was recently targeted by the Indian media for “advising” cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to avoid praying for Sathya Sai Baba, who had recently passed away, implying the guru was a fraud.
Via: India Real Time
