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Friday, Aug 10, 2007
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Attack on Taslima condemned

Anita Joshua

Academics, activists demand strict legal action against MIM workers

New Delhi: Academics and activists on Thursday condemned the attack on Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin in Hyderabad by workers of the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Musalmmen (MIM) and demanded strict legal action against them.

They also demanded foolproof security to the author who has been living in India following threats to her life in Bangladesh for her writings. Condemning the attack, the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust urged democratic-minded people to join the condemnation of such attacks and isolate those who preached intolerance and violence.

In a statement released from the platform of Act Now for Harmony and Democracy, the signatories said: “It is the immunity that bigots such as MIM and other fundamentalist organisations enjoy that they feel emboldened enough to attack a writer of Ms. Tasleema’s stature who is in fact an honoured guest of this country.”

Demanding action against those involved, the statement said: “Organisations like the MIM, which claim to speak for Muslims and Islam are doing great disservice to the community; and are a threat to the liberal and democratic ethos of India.”

The signatories to the statement include Ali Asghar, Ashok Vajpeyi, Urvashi Butalia, Krishna Sobti, Aditya Nigam, Gauhar Raza, Nivedita Menon, Shabnam Hashmi and Apoorvanand.

The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, who is in the Capital, said action should be taken against those involved in the attack. He sought to know whether there was any law and order mechanism in the State, as the incident took place at the Hyderabad Press Club near the Police Commissioner’s office.

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