Français | English

Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières

    • Issues
      • Health (Issues)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Issues)
          • AIDS / HIV (Health)
          • Dengue (epidemics, health)
          • Mpox / Monkeypox (epidemics, health)
          • Poliomyelitis (epidemics, health)
          • Respiratory viral infections (epidemics, health)
          • Tuberculosis (epidemics, health)
        • Health and Climate crisis
        • Tobacco (health)
      • Individuals
        • Franz Fanon
        • Michael Löwy
      • Solidarity
        • Solidarity: ESSF campaigns
          • ESSF financial solidarity – Global balance sheets
          • Funds (ESSF)
          • Global Appeals
          • Bangladesh (ESSF)
          • Burma, Myanmar (ESSF)
          • Indonesia (ESSF)
          • Japan (ESSF)
          • Malaysia (ESSF)
          • Nepal (ESSF)
          • Pakistan (ESSF)
          • Philippines (ESSF)
        • Solidarity: Geo-politics of Humanitarian Relief
        • Solidarity: Humanitarian and development CSOs
        • Solidarity: Humanitarian Disasters
        • Solidarity: Humanitarian response: methodologies and principles
        • Solidarity: Political economy of disaster
      • Capitalism & globalisation
        • History (Capitalism)
      • Civilisation & identities
        • Civilisation & Identities: unity, equality
      • Ecology (Theory)
        • Global Crisis / Polycrisis (ecology)
        • Growth / Degrowth (Ecology)
        • Animals’ Condition (Ecology)
        • Biodiversity (Ecology)
        • Climate (Ecology)
        • Commodity (Ecology)
        • Ecology, technology: Transport
        • Energy (Ecology)
        • Energy (nuclear) (Ecology)
          • Chernobyl (Ecology)
        • Forests (ecology)
        • Technology (Ecology)
        • Water (Ecology)
      • Agriculture
        • GMO & co. (Agriculture)
      • Commons
      • Communication and politics, Media, Social Networks
      • Culture and Politics
        • Sinéad O’Connor
      • Democracy
      • Development
        • Demography (Development)
        • Extractivism (Development)
        • Growth and Degrowth (Development)
      • Education (Theory)
      • Faith, religious authorities, secularism
        • Family, women (Religion, churches, secularism)
          • Religion, churches, secularism: Reproductive rights
        • Abused Children (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • Blasphemy (Faith, religious authorities, secularism)
        • Creationism (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • History (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • LGBT+ (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • Liberation Theology
          • Gustavo Gutiérrez
        • Marxism (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • Political Islam, Islamism (Religion, churches, secularism)
        • Secularism, laïcity
        • The veil (faith, religious authorities, secularism)
        • Vatican
          • Francis / Jorge Mario Bergoglio
      • Fascism, extreme right
      • Gender: Women
      • History
        • History: E. P. Thompson
      • Imperialism (theory)
      • Information Technology (IT)
      • Internationalism (issues)
        • Solidarity: Pandemics, epidemics (health, internationalism)
      • Jewish Question
        • History (Jewish Question)
      • Labor & Social Movements
      • Language
      • Law
        • Exceptional powers (Law)
        • Religious arbitration forums (Law)
        • Rules of war
        • War crimes, genocide (international law)
        • Women, family (Law)
      • LGBT+ (Theory)
      • Marxism & co.
        • Theory (Marxism & co.)
        • Postcolonial Studies / Postcolonialism (Marxism & co.)
        • Identity Politics (Marxism & co.)
        • Intersectionality (Marxism & co.)
        • Marxism and Ecology
        • Africa (Marxism)
        • France (Marxism)
        • Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
      • National Question
      • Oceans (Issues)
      • Parties: Theory and Conceptions
      • Patriarchy, family, feminism
        • Ecofeminism (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Fashion, cosmetic (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Feminism & capitalism (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Language (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Prostitution (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Reproductive Rights (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Violence against women (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Women and Health ( (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
        • Women, work (Patriarchy, family, feminism)
      • Political Strategy
      • Politics: Bibliographies
      • Politics: International Institutions
      • Psychology and politics
      • Racism, xenophobia, differentialism
      • Science and politics
        • Michael Burawoy
      • Sciences & Knowledge
        • Artificial Intelligence
        • Physics (science)
      • Sexuality
      • Social Formation, classes, political regime, ideology
        • Populism (Political regime, ideology)
      • Sport and politics
      • The role of the political
      • Transition: before imperialism
      • Transitional Societies (modern), socialism
      • Wars, conflicts, violences
      • Working Class, Wage labor, income, organizing
    • Movements
      • Analysis & Debates (Movements)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (Movements)
        • History of people’s movements (Movements)
      • Asia (Movements)
        • Globalization (Movements, Asia) (Movements)
        • APISC (Movements, Asia)
        • Asian Social Forum (Movements, Asia)
        • Asian Social Movements (Movements, Asia)
        • Counter-Summits (Movements, Asia)
        • Free Trade (Movements, Asia)
        • IIRE Manila (Movements, Asia)
        • In Asean (Movements, Asia)
        • People’s SAARC / SAAPE (Movements, Asia)
        • Social Protection Campaigns (Movements, Asia)
        • The Milk Tea Alliance
        • Women (Asia, movements)
      • World level (Movements)
        • Feminist Movements
          • Against Fundamentalisms (Feminist Movements)
          • Epidemics / Pandemics (Feminist Movements, health)
          • History of Women’s Movements
          • Rural, peasant (Feminist Movements)
          • World March of Women (Feminist Movements)
        • Anti-fascism Movements (international)
        • Asia-Europe People’s Forums (AEPF) (Movements)
        • Ecosocialist Networks (Movements, World)
        • Indignants (Movements)
        • Intercoll (Movements, World)
        • Internationals (socialist, communist, revolutionary) (Movements, World)
          • International (Fourth) (Movements, World)
            • Ernest Mandel
            • Livio Maitan
            • Women (Fourth International)
            • Youth (Fourth International)
          • International (Second) (1889-1914) (Movements, World)
          • International (Third) (Movements, World)
            • Baku Congress (1920)
            • Communist Cooperatives (Comintern)
            • Krestintern: Comintern’s Peasant International
            • Red Sport International (Sportintern) (Comintern)
            • The Communist Youth International (Comintern)
            • The Red International of Labour Unions (RILU) (Comintern)
            • The ‘International Workers Aid’ (IWA / MRP)
            • Women (Comintern)
        • Internet, Hacktivism (Movements, World)
        • Labor & TUs (Movements, World)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (TUs, international) (Movements, World)
        • Radical Left (Movements, World)
          • IIRE (Movements, World)
          • Movements: Sal Santen (obituary)
          • Radical Parties’ Network (Movements, World)
        • Social Movements Network (Movements, World)
        • World Days of Action (Movements)
        • World Social Forum (Movements)
      • Africa (Movements)
        • Forum of the People (Movements)
      • America (N&S) (Movements)
        • Latin America (Mouvments)
        • US Social Forum (Movements)
      • Europe (Movements)
        • Alter Summit (Movements, Europe)
        • Anti-Austerity/Debt NetworksAlter Summit (Movements, Europe)
        • Anti-G8/G20 in EuropeAlter Summit (Movements)
        • Counter-Summits to the EUAlter Summit (Movements, Europe)
        • Free TradeAlter Summit (Movements, Europe)
        • Movements: European Social Forum
      • Mediterranean (Movements, MEAN)
        • Mediterranean Social Forum (Movements)
        • Political Left (Movements, MEAN)
      • Agriculture & Peasantry (Movements)
        • Women (Movements, Peasantry)
      • Antiwar Struggles (Movements)
        • History of antimilitarism (Movements)
        • Military Bases (Movements)
        • Nuclear Weapon, WMD (Movements)
      • Common Goods & Environment (Movements)
        • Biodiversity (Movements)
        • Climate (Movements)
        • Ecosocialist International Networky (Movements)
        • Nuclear (energy) (Movements)
          • AEPF “No-Nuke” Circle (Movements)
        • Water (Movements)
      • Debt, taxes & Financial Institutions (Movements)
        • IMF (Movements)
        • World Bank (Movements)
      • Health (Movements)
        • Women’s Health (Movements)
        • Asbestos (Movements, health, World)
        • Drugs (Movements, health, World)
        • Epidemics (Movements, health, World)
        • Health & Work (Movements, health, World)
        • Health and social crisis (Movements, health, World)
        • Nuclear (Movements, health, World)
        • Pollution (Movements, health, World)
      • Human Rights & Freedoms (Movements, World)
        • Women’s Rights (Movements, HR)
        • Corporate HR violations (Movements, HR)
        • Disability (Movements, HR)
        • Exceptional Powers (Movements, HR)
        • Justice, law (Movements, HR)
        • Media, Internet (Movements, HR)
        • Non-State Actors (Movements, World)
        • Police, weapons (Movements, HR)
        • Rights of free meeting (Movements, HR)
        • Secret services (Movements, HR)
      • LGBT+ (Movements, World)
      • Parliamentary field (Movements, health, World)
      • Social Rights, Labor (Movements)
        • Reclaim People’s Dignity (Movements)
        • Urban Rights (Movements)
      • TNCs, Trade, WTO (Movements)
        • Cocoa value chain (Movements)
    • World
      • The world today (World)
      • Global Crisis / Polycrisis (World)
      • Global health crises, pandemics (World)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (economic crisis, World)
      • Economy (World)
        • Financial and economic crisis (World)
          • Car industry, transport (World)
        • Technologies (Economy)
      • Extreme right, fascism, fundamentalism (World)
      • History (World)
      • Migrants, refugees (World)
      • Military (World)
      • Terrorism (World)
    • Africa
      • Africa Today
        • ChinAfrica
      • Environment (Africa)
        • Biodiversity (Africa)
      • Religion (Africa)
      • Women (Africa)
      • Economy (Africa)
      • Epidemics, pandemics (Africa)
      • History (Africa)
        • Amilcar Cabral
      • Sahel Region
      • Angola
        • Angola: History
      • Burkina Faso
      • Cameroon
        • Cameroon: LGBT+
      • Capo Verde
      • Central African Republic (CAR)
      • Chad
      • Congo Kinshasa (DRC)
        • Patrice Lumumba
      • Djibouti (Eng)
      • Eritrea
      • Ethiopia
      • Gambia
      • Ghana
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Ghana)
        • Ghana: LGBT+
      • Guinea (Conakry)
      • Ivory Coast
      • Kenya
        • History (Kenya)
        • Kenya: WSF 2007
        • Left forces (Kenya)
        • LGBT+ (Kenya)
        • Women (Kenya)
      • Lesotho
      • Liberia
        • Liberia: LGBT+
      • Madagascar
      • Mali
        • Women (Mali)
        • History (Mali)
      • Mauritania
      • Mauritius
        • Women (Mauritius)
      • Mayotte
      • Mozambique
      • Namibia
      • Niger
        • Niger: Nuclear
      • Nigeria
        • Women (Nigeria)
        • Pandemics, epidemics (health, Nigeria)
      • Réunion
      • Rwanda
        • The genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda
      • Senegal
        • Women (Senegal)
      • Seychelles
      • Sierra Leone
        • Sierra Leone: LGBT+
      • Somalia
        • Women (Somalia)
      • South Africa
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, South Africa)
        • On the Left (South Africa)
          • David Sanders
          • Mark Thabo Weinberg
          • Nelson Mandela
        • Women (South Africa)
        • Culture (South Africa)
        • Ecology, Environment (South Africa)
        • Economy, social (South Africa)
        • History (Freedom Struggle and first years of ANC government) (South Africa)
          • Steve Biko
        • Institutions, laws (South Africa)
        • Labour, community protests (South Africa)
          • Cosatu (South Africa)
          • SAFTU (South Africa)
        • Land reform and rural issues (South Africa)
        • LGBTQ+ (South Africa)
        • Students (South Africa)
      • South Sudan
        • Ecology (South Sudan)
      • Sudan
        • Women (Sudan)
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
        • Uganda: LGBT
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
        • Women (Zimbabwe)
    • Americas
      • Ecology (Latin America)
      • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Latin America)
      • History (Latin America)
      • Indigenous People (Latin America)
      • Latin America (Latin America)
      • LGBT+ (Latin America)
      • Migrations (Latin America)
      • Women (Latin America)
      • Amazonia
      • Antilles / West Indies
      • Argentina
        • Diego Maradona
        • Economy (Argentina)
        • History (Argentina)
          • Daniel Pereyra
        • Women (Argentina)
          • Reproductive Rights (Women, Argentina)
      • Bahamas
        • Bahamas: Disasters
      • Bolivia
        • Women (Bolivia)
        • Orlando Gutiérrez
      • Brazil
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Brazil)
        • Women (Brazil)
          • Reproductive Rights (Brazil)
        • Ecology (Brazil)
        • Economy (Brazil)
        • History (Brazil)
        • History of the Left (Brazil)
          • Marielle Franco
        • Indigenous People (Brazil)
        • Justice, freedoms (Brazil)
        • Labor (Brazil)
        • LGBT+ (Brazil)
        • Rural (Brazil)
        • World Cup, Olympics, social resistances (Brazil)
      • Canada & Quebec
        • Women (Canada & Quebec)
        • Ecology (Canada & Quebec)
        • Far Right / Extreme Right (Canada, Quebec)
        • Fundamentalism & secularism (Canada & Quebec)
        • Health (Canada & Québec)
          • Pandemics, epidemics (Health, Canada & Québec)
        • Indigenous People (Canada & Quebec)
        • LGBT+ (Canada & Quebec)
        • On the Left (Canada & Quebec)
          • Biographies (Left, Canada, Quebec)
            • Bernard Rioux
            • Ernest (‘Ernie’) Tate & Jess Mackenzie
            • Leo Panitch
            • Pierre Beaudet
      • Caribbean
      • Chile
        • Women (Chile)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Chile)
        • History (Chile)
          • Marta Harnecker
          • Pinochet Dictatorship
          • Victor Jara
        • LGBT+ (Chile)
        • Natural Disasters (Chile)
      • Colombia
        • Women (Colombia)
          • Reproductive Rights (Columbia)
        • Pandemics, epidemics (Colombia, Health)
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
        • Women, gender (Cuba)
        • Ecology (Cuba)
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Cuba)
        • History (Cuba)
          • Che Guevara
            • Che Guevara (obituary)
          • Cuban Revolution (History)
          • Fidel Castro
        • LGBT+ (Cuba)
      • Ecuador
        • Women (Ecuador)
        • Ecology (Ecuador)
        • Humanitarian Disasters (Ecuador)
      • El Salvador
        • Women (El Salvador)
        • El Salvador: Salvadorian Revolution and Counter-Revolution
      • Grenada
      • Guatemala
        • History (Guatemala)
        • Mining (Guatemala)
        • Women (Guatemala)
      • Guiana (French)
      • Haiti
        • Women (Haiti)
        • Haiti: History
        • Haiti: Natural Disasters
      • Honduras
        • Women (Honduras)
        • Berta Cáceres
        • Honduras: History
        • Honduras: LGBT+
        • Juan López (Honduras)
      • Jamaica
      • Mexico
        • Women (Mexico)
        • Disasters (Mexico)
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Mexico)
        • History of people struggles (Mexico)
          • Rosario Ibarra
        • The Left (Mexico)
          • Adolfo Gilly
      • Nicaragua
        • Women (Nicaragua)
        • History (Nicaragua)
          • Fernando Cardenal
        • Nicaragua: Nicaraguan Revolution
      • Panamá
      • Paraguay
        • Women (Paraguay)
      • Peru
        • Hugo Blanco
      • Puerto Rico
        • Disasters (Puerto Rico)
      • Uruguay
        • Women (Uruguay)
        • History (Uruguay)
        • Labour Movement (Uruguay)
      • USA
        • Women (USA)
          • History (Feminism, USA)
          • Reproductive Rights (Women, USA)
          • Violence (women, USA)
        • Disasters (USA)
        • Far Right, Religious Right (USA)
        • Health (USA)
          • Children (health)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, USA)
        • On the Left (USA)
          • Health (Left, USA)
          • History (Left)
          • Solidarity / Against the Current (USA)
          • The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
          • Biographies, History (Left, USA)
            • History: SWP and before (USA)
            • Angela Davis
            • Barbara Dane
            • bell hooks (En)
            • C.L.R. James
            • Dan La Botz
            • Daniel Ellsberg
            • David Graeber
            • Ellen Meiksins Wood
            • Ellen Spence Poteet
            • Erik Olin Wright
            • Frederic Jameson
            • Gabriel Kolko
            • Gus Horowitz
            • Herbert Marcuse
            • Immanuel Wallerstein
            • James Cockcroft
            • John Lewis
            • Kai Nielsen
            • Larry Kramer
            • Malcolm X
            • Marshall Berman
            • Martin Luther King
            • Michael Lebowitz
            • Mike Davis
            • Norma Barzman
            • Richard Wright
        • Secularity, religion & politics
        • Social Struggles, labor (USA)
          • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Social struggles, USA)
        • Agriculture (USA)
        • Ecology (USA)
        • Economy, social (USA)
        • Education (USA)
        • Energy (USA)
        • Foreign Policy, Military, International Solidarity (USA)
        • History (USA)
          • Henry Kissinger
          • History of people’s struggles (USA)
          • Jimmy Carter
          • Trump, trumpism (USA)
        • Housing (USA)
        • Human Rights, police, justice (USA)
        • Human Rights: Guantanamo (USA)
        • Human Rights: Incarceration (USA)
        • Indian nations and indigenous groups (USA)
        • Institutions, political regime (USA)
        • LGBT+ (USA)
        • Migrant, refugee (USA)
        • Persons / Individuals (USA)
          • Donald Trump (USA)
          • Laura Loomer
        • Racism (USA)
          • Arabes (racism, USA)
          • Asians (racism, USA)
          • Blacks (racism, USA)
          • Jews (racism, USA)
        • Science (USA)
        • Violences (USA)
      • Venezuela
        • Women (Venezuela)
        • Ecology (Venezuela)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Venezuela)
    • Asia
      • Disasters (Asia)
      • Ecology (Asia)
      • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Asia)
      • History
      • Women (Asia)
      • Asia (Central, ex-USSR)
        • Kazakhstan
          • Women (Kazakhstan)
        • Kyrgyzstan
          • Women (Kyrgyzstan)
        • Tajikistan
        • Uzbekistan
      • Asia (East & North-East)
      • Asia (South, SAARC)
        • Ecology (South Asia)
          • Climate (ecology, South Asia)
        • Economy, debt (South Asia)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, South Asia)
        • LGBT+ (South Asia)
        • Religious fundamentalism
        • Women (South Asia)
      • Asia (Southeast, ASEAN)
        • Health (South East Asia, ASEAN)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, South East Asia, ASEAN))
      • Asia economy & social
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Asia)
      • Economy & Labour (Asia)
      • On the Left (Asia)
      • Afghanistan
        • Women, patriarchy, sharia (Afghanistan)
        • History, society (Afghanistan)
        • On the Left (Afghanistan)
      • Bangladesh
        • Health (Bangladesh)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Bangladesh)
        • Ecological Disasters, climate (Bangladesh)
        • Fundamentalism & secularism (Bangladesh)
        • The Left (Bangladesh)
        • Women (Bangladesh)
        • Economy (Bangladesh)
        • History (Bangladesh)
        • Human Rights (Bangladesh)
        • Indigenous People (Bangladesh)
        • Labour (Bangladesh)
          • Industrial Disasters (Bangladesh)
        • LGBT+ (Bangladesh)
        • Nuclear (Bangladesh)
        • Rohingya (refugee, Bangladesh)
        • Rural & Fisherfolk (Bangladesh)
      • Bhutan
        • LGT+ (Bhutan)
        • Women (Bhutan)
      • Brunei
        • Women, LGBT+, Sharia, (Brunei)
      • Burma / Myanmar
        • Arakan / Rakine (Burma)
          • Rohingyas (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Buddhism / Sanga
        • CSOs (Burma / Mynamar)
        • Economy (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Health (Burma / Myanmar)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Burma/Myanmar)
        • History (Burma/Myanmar)
          • History of struggles (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Labor (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Migrants (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Natural Disasters (Burma/Myanmar)
        • Women (Burma/Myanmar)
      • Cambodia
        • Women (Cambodia)
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Cambodia)
        • History (Cambodia)
          • The Khmers rouges (Cambodia)
        • Labour / Labor (Cambodia)
        • Rural (Cambodia)
        • Urban (Cambodia)
      • China (PRC)
        • Health (China)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, China)
        • Political situation (China)
        • China Today
        • Global Rise (China)
          • Military expansion (China)
          • Silk Roads/OBOR/BRICS (China)
          • World Economy (China)
          • China & Africa
          • China & Europe
            • China and the Russian War in Ukraine
          • China & Japan
          • China & Latin America
          • China & MENA
          • China & North America
          • China & Russia
          • China & South Asia
          • China § Asia-Pacific
          • China, ASEAN & the South China Sea
          • China, Korea, & North-East Asia
        • On the Left (China)
        • Women (China)
        • China § Xinjiang/East Turkestan
        • Civil Society (China)
        • Demography (China)
        • Ecology and environment (China)
        • Economy, technology (China)
        • History (China)
          • History pre-XXth Century (China)
          • History XXth Century (China)
            • Beijing Summer Olympic Games 2008
            • Chinese Trotskyists
              • Wang Fanxi / Wang Fan-hsi
              • Zheng Chaolin
            • Foreign Policy (history, China)
            • Transition to capitalism (history , China)
        • Human Rights, freedoms (China)
        • Labour and social struggles (China)
        • LGBT+ (China)
        • Religion & Churches (China)
        • Rural, agriculture (China)
        • Social Control, social credit (China)
        • Social Protection (China)
        • Sport and politics (China)
          • Beijing Olympic Games
      • China: Hong Kong SAR
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Hong Kong)
        • History (Hong Kong)
        • LGBT+ (Hong Kong)
        • Migrants (Hong Kong)
      • China: Macao SAR
      • East Timor
        • East Timor: News Updates
      • India
        • Political situation (India)
        • Caste, Dalits & Adivasis (India)
          • Adivasi, Tribes (India)
          • Dalits & Other Backward Castes (OBC) (India)
        • Fundamentalism, communalism, extreme right, secularism (India)
        • Health (India)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, India)
        • North-East (India)
        • The Left (India)
          • MN Roy
          • Stan Swamy (India)
          • The Left: ML Updates (DISCONTINUED) (India)
          • Trupti Shah (obituary) (India)
        • Women (India)
        • Antiwar & nuclear (India)
        • Digital Rights (India)
        • Ecology & Industrial Disasters (India)
        • Economy & Globalisation (India)
        • Energy, nuclear (India)
        • History (up to 1947) (India)
          • Baghat Singh (India)
          • Gandhi
        • History after 1947 (India)
        • Human Rights & Freedoms (India)
        • International Relations (India)
        • Labor, wage earners, TUs (India)
        • LGBT+ (India)
        • Military (India)
        • Narmada (India)
        • Natural Disaster (India)
        • Refugees (India)
        • Regional Politics (South Asia) (India)
        • Rural & fisherfolk (India)
        • Social Forums (India)
        • Social Protection (India)
        • Urban (India)
      • Indonesia & West Papua
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Indonesia)
        • Papua (Indonesia)
          • Pandemics, epidemics (health, West Papua)
        • The Left (Indonesia)
        • Women (Indonesia)
        • Common Goods (Indonesia)
        • Ecology (Indonesia)
        • Economy (Indonesia)
        • Fundamentalism, sharia, religion (Indonesia)
        • History before 1965 (Indonesia)
        • History from 1945 (Indonesia)
          • Tan Malaka
        • History: 1965 and after (Indonesia)
        • Human Rights (Indonesia)
          • MUNIR Said Thalib (Indonesia)
        • Indigenous People (Indonesia)
        • Indonesia / East Timor News Digests DISCONTINUED
          • Indonesia Roundup DISCONTINUED
        • Labor, urban poor (Indonesia)
          • History (labour, Indonesia)
        • LGBT+ (Indonesia)
        • Natural Disaster (Indonesia)
        • Rural & fisherfolk (Indonesia)
        • Student, youth (Indonesia)
      • Japan
        • Political situation (Japan)
        • Health (Japan)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Japan)
        • Okinawa (Japan)
        • Women (Japan)
        • Anti-war movement (Japan)
        • Culture, society (Japan)
        • Disasters (Japan)
        • Ecology (Japan)
        • Economy (Japan)
        • Energy, nuclear (Japan)
          • History (nuclear, Japan)
        • Extreme right, fascism (Japan)
        • History (Japan)
          • History of people’s struggles (Japan)
        • Human Rights (Japan)
        • Institutions (Japan)
        • International Relations (Japan)
        • Labor & TUs (Japan)
        • LGBT+ (Japan)
        • Migrants (Japan)
        • Military, Nuclear weapon (Japan)
        • On the Left (Japan)
          • JCP (the Left, Japan)
          • JRCL (the Left, Japan)
            • Yoshichi Sakai
        • Racism (Japan)
        • Tokyo Olympics
        • Underworld (Japan)
      • Kashmir (India, Pakistan)
        • Kashmir: Pakistan
        • Kashmir: K&J, India
      • Korea
        • Antiwar, military bases (Korea)
        • History (Korea)
        • Korean Crisis (Geopolitics)
        • North Korea
          • Pandemics, epidemics (North Korea)
        • South Korea
          • Epidemics (health, South Korea)
          • Women (South Korea)
          • Ecology, common goods (South Korea)
          • Free Trade, FTA & WTO (South Korea)
          • Labor & co. (South Korea)
          • LGBTQ+ (South Korea)
          • Migrant (South Korea)
          • Nuclear (South Korea)
          • Rural & fisherfolk (South Korea)
          • The Left (South Korea)
      • Laos
        • Sombath Somephone
      • Malaysia
        • Women, family (Malaysia)
        • Clean elections, clean government! (Malaysia)
        • Ecology (Malaysia)
        • Health ( Malaysia)
          • Malaysia: Epidemics, pandemics (health, Malaysia)
        • History (Malaysia)
        • Labor, TUs & people’s movements (Malaysia)
        • LGBT+ (Malaysia)
        • Malaysian international solidarity initiatives
        • Migrant, Refugee (Malaysia)
        • Religion, law, fundamentalism (Malaysia)
        • The Left (Malaysia)
          • The Left: PSM (Malaysia)
      • Maldives
      • Mongolia
      • Nepal
        • Women (Nepal)
        • Background articles (Nepal)
        • Ecology, Climate (Nepal)
        • Humanitarian Disasters (Nepal)
        • Rural (Nepal)
      • Pakistan
        • Balochistan (Pakistan)
        • Gilgit Baltistan (Pakistan)
          • Baba Jan (Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan)
        • Health (Pakistan)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Pakistan)
        • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (NWFP - Pakistan)
        • Women (Pakistan)
          • Women & Labor (Pakistan)
          • Women, fundamentalism (Pakistan)
        • China & CPEC (Pakistan)
        • Ecology, Nuclear (Pakistan)
        • Economy (Pakistan)
        • Fundamentalism, Taliban (Pakistan)
        • History (Pakistan)
        • Human Rights & religious violence (Pakistan)
        • Human Rights (Pakistan)
        • Labor & TUs (Pakistan)
        • LGBT+ (Pakistan)
        • Migration (Pakistan)
        • Natural and Humanitarian Disasters (Pakistan)
        • Nuclear Capabilities (Pakistan)
        • Nuclear, antiwar, solidarity (Pakistan)
        • Regional Politics (Pakistan)
        • Rural & fisherfolk (Pakistan)
        • Social Forum (Pakistan)
        • Student, youth (Pakistan)
        • The Left (Pakistan)
          • AWP (The Left, Pakistan)
          • Bapsi Sidhwa
          • Haqooq-E-Khalq Party (HKP) (The Left, Pakistan)
          • Karamat Ali
          • Lal Khan
          • LPP (The Left, Pakistan)
          • The Struggle (The Left, Pakistan)
        • Urban (Pakistan)
      • Philippines
        • Political Situation
        • Health (Philippines)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Philippines)
        • Mindanao (Philippines)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Mindanao)
          • Bangsamoro Political Entity (Mindanao)
            • Moros Movements (history, Mindanao)
          • Clans & violence (Mindanao)
          • Climate (Mindanao)
          • Economy, social (Mindanao)
          • Humanitarian Disasters (Mindanao)
          • Lumad (Mindanao)
          • Peace process (Mindanao)
          • Secular, Politics & Churches (Mindanao)
        • The Left (Philippines)
          • CPP (killings) (Philippines)
          • CPP (Purges) (Philippines)
          • History (The Left, Philippines)
          • Peace process (Philippines)
          • Persons (the Left, Philippines)
            • Aileen San Pablo Baviera
            • Armando J. Malay
            • Benito and Wilma Tiamzon
            • Carlos Bulosan
            • Celia Mariano Pomeroy
            • Edcel Lagman
            • Emmanuel “Noel” S. de Dios
            • Francisco “Dodong” Nemenzo
            • Hannah Jay Cesista
            • Jose Maria Sison
            • Lean Alejandro
            • Margaret Schirmer
            • Max de Mesa
            • Nathan Quimpo
            • Patricio N. Abinales
            • Popoy Lagman
            • R. « Sonny » Mesina, Jr.
            • Randolf “Randy” S. David
            • Risa Hontiveros
            • Ruben
            • Tripon/Zandro/Jojo
            • Walden Bello
          • The Left and self-determination (Mindanao)
        • Women (Philippines)
          • History (women, Philippines)
          • Prostitution (Philippines)
          • Reproductive Rights (Philippines)
          • Solidarity (women)
        • Antiwar, International Solidarity (Philippines)
        • Debt, poverty, Common Goods (Philippines)
        • Disasters (Philippines)
        • Ecology (Philippines)
        • Economy & trade, social (Philippines)
        • Education (Philippines)
        • Geopolitics and international relations (Philippines)
        • History, society, culture (Philippines)
          • Rodrigo Duterte
        • Human Rights (Philippines)
        • Indigenous Peoples (Philippines)
        • Labor (Philippines)
          • Migrant, Migration (labor, Philippines)
        • LGBT+ (Philippines)
        • Military policy (Philippines)
        • Nuclear (Philippines)
        • Rural & Fisherfolks (Philippines)
        • Urban (Philippines)
      • Singapore
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (Singapore, health)
        • LGBT+ (Singapore)
        • Migrant workers (Singapore)
      • Sri Lanka
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Sri Lanka)
        • The left (Sri Lanka)
          • History (The Left, Sri Lanka)
            • Bala Tampoe
            • JVP and Rohana Wijeweera (Sri Lanka)
            • Linus Jayatilake
            • Santasilan Kadirgamar
            • Upali Cooray
          • Left Voice / Wame Handa (The Left, Sri Lanka)
          • NSSP-NLF (The Left, Sri Lanka)
          • Socialist People’s Forum (Samajawadi Janatha Sansadaya)
          • Working People Party (Sri Lanka)
        • Women (Sri Lanka)
        • Aid, humanitarian crisis (Sri Lanka)
        • Economy (Sri Lanka)
        • Fundamentalism, Religious violences (Sri Lanka)
        • History (Sri Lanka)
          • History (after independence, Sri Lanka)
          • History (Ceylon before independence)
        • Labor & TUs (Sri Lanka)
        • LGBT+ (Sri Lanka)
        • Muslims (Sri Lanka)
        • Rural (Sri Lanka)
        • Tamils (Sri Lanka)
      • Taiwan
        • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Taiwan)
        • History (Taiwan)
        • International Relations (Taiwan)
        • International Solidarity (Taiwan)
        • Labor / Labour (Taiwan)
        • LGBT+ (Taiwan)
        • Migrants (Taiwan)
        • Military (Taiwan)
        • Regional Tensions (Taiwan)
        • Society (Taiwan)
        • The Left (Taiwan)
        • Women (Taiwan)
      • Thailand
        • Health (Thailand)
          • Pandemics (health, Thailand)
        • On the Left (Thailand)
        • Regime, society (Thailand)
        • Women (Thailand)
        • Culture, society (Thailand)
        • Deep South (Thailand)
        • Disasters (Thailand)
        • Ecology, climate (Thailand)
        • Economy (Thailand)
        • Géopolitics (Regional) (Thailand)
        • History (Thailand)
          • History of people’s struggles (Thailand)
        • Human Rights, law, justice (Thailand)
        • Labor (Thailand)
        • LGBT+ (Thailand)
        • Migrants, refugees (Thailand)
        • Rural (Thailand)
      • Tibet
      • Vietnam & Indochina
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Vietnam)
        • Human Rights & Freedoms (Vietnam)
        • Women (Vietnam)
        • Chemical War, Agent Orange (Vietnam & Indochina)
        • Ecology (Vietnam)
        • Géopolitics (regional) (Vietnam)
        • History and debates (Vietnam & Indochina)
        • In the capitalist transition (Vietnam)
        • LGBT+ (Vietnam)
        • Rural (Vietnam)
        • Social Movements, Labour (Vietnam)
        • The solidarity movements (Vietnam & Indochina)
    • Europe, Great Britain
      • European Geopolitics
      • European Union
        • Catalonia crisis (EU)
        • Constitution, history & crisis (EU)
        • Countries (EU & co.)
          • Health (countries, EU)
            • Epidemics, pandemics (health, EU)
          • Ecology, environment (countries, EU)
          • Friedrich Merz
          • LGBT+ (countries, Europe)
          • Racism, xenophobia (countries, EU)
            • Mammadou Ba
        • Health (EU)
          • Epidemics, pandemics (health, EU)
        • Institutions, regime (EU)
        • Agriculture (EU)
          • GMO (EU)
        • Economy, social (EU)
        • Education & youth (EU)
        • Energy, nuclear (EU)
        • Environment (EU)
          • Biodiversity (EU)
          • Climate (EU)
        • External Relations (EU)
          • Europe-Africa Relations (EU)
          • Europe-Asia Relations (EU)
          • Europe-Latin America relations (EU)
          • Europe-Mediterranean Relations (EU)
            • Palestine-Israel (international relations, EU)
          • Europe-North America Relations (EU)
        • Housing (EU)
        • LGBT+ (EU)
        • Migration (EU)
        • Military (EU)
        • Public Services (EU)
        • Transport (EU)
      • Which Europe?
      • Women (Europe)
        • Debt (women, Europe)
        • History (women, Europe)
        • Reproductive Rights (Europe)
        • Violence against women (Europe)
        • Women & work (Europe)
      • Fascism, extreme right, fundamentalism (Europe)
      • History (modern) (Europe)
        • History of people’s struggles (Europe)
      • History (pre-modern) (Europe)
      • Migrants, refugees (Europe)
      • On the Left (Europe)
        • Left, epidemics, health (Europe)
        • EACL, European conferences
        • History of the Left (Europe, except France and Britain)
          • Antonio Gramsci
          • Franz Kafka
          • Görgy Lukács
          • Henk Sneevliet
          • István Mészáros
          • James Connolly
          • Lennart Wallster
          • Maarten van Dullemen
          • Marijke Colle
          • Miguel “Moro” Romero
          • Mimis Livieratos
          • Pablo (Michel Raptis)
          • Paul Levi
          • Peter Waterman
          • Petr Uhl
          • Primo Levi
          • Ralph Miliband (1924 – 1994)
          • Rosa Luxemburg
            • Rosa Luxemburg (obituary)
          • Rossana Rossanda
          • Sergio D’Amia
          • Troglo – José Ramón Castaños Umaran
          • Victor Serge
          • Walter Benjamin
          • Wilebaldo Solano
          • Winfried Wolf
        • Project K (Europe)
        • The European Left Party (Europe)
      • Racism, Xenophobia (Europe)
      • Religion, churches, secularity (Europe)
      • Social movements, labour (Europe)
        • Car Industry (Europe)
        • Cost of living crisis (Europe)
        • Housing (Europe)
        • Pensions (Europe)
      • War and militarism
      • Balkans
        • Women (Balkans)
        • Balkans: Yugoslav Crisis in the 1990s
      • Eastern Europe & Russian Federation
        • Economy (Eastern Europe)
        • Belarus / Belarusia
        • Moldava
        • Russia
          • Social and labour resistance in Russia
          • Alexi Navalny
          • Anti-War Resistance (Russia)
          • Economy
          • LGBT+ (Russia)
          • North Caucasus (Russia)
          • Nuclear (weapon, Russia)
          • On the left (Russia)
            • Esteban Volkov
          • Women (Russia)
        • Tatarstan
        • Ukraine
          • Environment (Ukraine)
          • Far right (Ukraine)
          • Geology / Minerals
          • History (Ukraine)
          • Labour (Ukraine)
          • LGBT+ (Ukraine)
          • Nuclear Energy (Ukraine)
          • On the left (Ukraine)
            • Sotsialnyi Rukh (Social Movement) (Ukraine)
            • Mark Boytsun / Marko Bojcun
            • Yuriy Lebedev
          • Racism, xenophobia (Ukraine)
          • Women (Ukraine)
        • USSR, Soviet Bloc, Russian Empire (history)
          • History (Russian Empire, USSR)
            • Russian Revolution
              • Clara Zetkin
              • Lenin
              • Leon Trotsky
                • Leon Trotsky (obituary)
              • Sultan Galiev
          • Transition to capitalism in USSR and Eastern Europe
          • Women (Soviet Bloc)
      • France
        • Political situation and debates (France)
        • Health (France)
          • Epidemics, pandemics, (health, France)
        • The Left (France)
          • History of the Left (France)
            • Alain Badiou
            • Alain Krivine
            • Claude Jacquin, Claude Gabriel
            • Daniel Bensaïd
              • Daniel Bensaïd (obituary)
            • David Rousset
            • Enzo Traverso
            • Gérard Chaouat
            • Gisèle Halimi
            • Jean-Michel Krivine
            • Louis Althusser
            • Michel Husson
            • Michel Lequenne
            • Pierre Granet
            • Pierre Rousset
            • Roland Lew
        • Agriculture, rural (France)
        • Andorre
        • Children (France)
          • Violences against children (France)
        • Ecology (France)
          • Energy (France)
          • Nuclear (France)
        • Ecology: Parc des Beaumonts (France)
          • France: Ornithology: from elsewhere
          • France: Ornithology: log
          • France: Ornithology: reports
        • Education (France)
        • Far Rigth, Extreme Right (France)
          • Jean-Marie Le Pen
        • French Imperialism, international relations (France)
          • Armament, nuclear (France)
          • France & the Middle-East & Mediterranean
          • France: France-Asia & Pacific Relations
          • Franco-African Relations (France)
          • Relations France – LA/Carribean (France)
        • History & Memory (France)
        • Human Rights Freedoms (France)
          • Terrorism (Human Rights, France)
        • LGBT+ (France)
        • Migrant, Refugee, Migration (France)
        • Military (France)
        • Olympics 2024 (France)
        • Political regime, parties, ideologies (France)
        • Racism (France)
        • Social Movements, economy and labor (France)
        • Social Protections (France)
          • Retirement (Social Protections, France)
        • Women (France)
          • Violences against women (France)
      • Great Britain & Northern Ireland (Europe)
        • Health (UK)
          • Epidemics (health, UK)
        • North of Ireland (UK)
        • Scotland
          • Epidemics / Pandemics (health, Scotland)
          • LGBT+ (Scotland)
        • Wales / Cymru
        • Women (UK)
          • Reproductive Rights (Britain)
        • Brexit (UK)
        • British Capitalism, economy
        • Education (UK)
        • Environment, Ecology (UK)
          • Biodiversity (Ecology, Britain)
        • Extreme right / Fascism (Britain)
        • History (UK)
        • Human Rights and Freedoms (Britain)
        • LGBT+ (UK)
        • Media (UK)
        • Migrants - refugees, racism (UK)
        • Monarchy (UK)
        • On the Left (UK)
          • Benedict Anderson
          • Eric Hobsbawm
          • John Molyneux
          • Mick Gosling
          • Neil Davidson
          • Neil Faulkner
          • Norman Geras
          • Peter Gowan
          • Sheila Rowbotham
          • Sylvia Pankhurst
        • Racism, xenophobia (UK)
          • Blacks / Black people/African diaspora (UK)
          • Chinese (UK)
          • Jew (UK)
          • Muslims (Racism, Britain)
        • Secularism (UK)
        • Social and labour movements
      • Humanitarian Disasters (Europe)
      • South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Karabakh)
        • Armenia
        • Azerbaijan
        • Georgia
        • South Caucasus: Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
      • Turkey / Türkiye
        • Kurdistan (Turkey)
        • Women (Turkey)
        • Economy, social (Turkey)
        • History, society (Turkey)
        • Islamism (Turkey)
        • LGBT+ (Turkey)
        • Migrants (Turkey)
        • Natural / Humanitarian Disasters (Turkey)
        • The Left (Turkey)
    • Middle East & N. Africa
      • The region (MENA)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, MENA)
      • Women (MENA)
      • Ecology (MENA)
      • Labour (MENA)
      • LGBT+ (MENA)
      • Algeria
        • Women (Algeria)
        • Ecology, Environment (Algeria)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Algeria)
        • History (Algeria)
          • History: 1945-1962 (Algeria)
          • History: post-1962 (Algeria)
      • Bahrain
      • Egypt
        • Women (Egypt)
        • COP27 (Egypt)
        • Economy (Egypt)
        • Fundamentalism, secular (Egypt)
        • History (Egypt)
        • Human Rights (Egypt)
        • Labor (Egypt)
        • LGBT+ (Egypt)
        • Muslim Brotherhood, Islamism (Egypt)
        • On the Left (Egypt)
          • Nawal El-Saadawi
          • Samir Amin
        • Palestine § Palestinians (Egypt)
      • Iran
        • Women (Iran)
        • “Khiaban” and other bulletins (Iran)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Iran)
        • History (Iran)
          • History of people’s struggles (Iran)
          • History, society, regime (Iran)
        • LGBT + (Iran)
        • Religion, secular (Iran)
      • Iraq
        • Women (Iraq)
        • Kurdistan in Iraq
        • LGBT+ (Iraq)
        • The Left (Iraq)
      • Jordan
        • Women (Jordan)
        • Education Sector (Jordan)
      • Kuwait
      • Lebanon
        • Women (Lebanon)
        • Hezbollah (Lebanon)
        • Industrial Disasters
        • Labour (Lebanon)
        • LGBT (Lebanon)
        • On the Left (Lebanon)
          • Joseph Tarrab
          • Mahdi Amel / Hassan Hamdan
      • Libya
        • Women (Libya)
        • Humanitarian / Natural Disasters (Libya)
        • Libya: LGBT+
        • Libya: Society, history
      • Morocco & Western Sahara
        • Western Sahara
        • Women (Morocco)
        • Ecology (Morocco)
        • Human Rights and Freedoms (Morocco)
        • Humanitarian / Natural Disasters
        • Left forces (Morocco)
        • Rural (Morocco)
        • Society, economy, history (Morocco)
      • Oman
      • Palestine & Israel
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Palestine & Israel)
        • Women (Palestine & Israel)
        • Economy (Palestine & Israel)
        • Fundamentalism (Palestine & Israel)
        • History (Palestine & Israel)
        • Human Rights (Palestine & Israel)
        • Labor, social movements (Palestine & Israel)
        • LGBT+ (Palestine & Israel)
        • Media (Israel)
        • Military, nuclear (Israel)
        • Movements, Left forces, solidarities (Palestine)
          • +972 Magazine and Local Call
          • Anarchists (Left, Israel)
          • Anti-war (Israel)
            • Conscientious Objector / Refusers / Refuseniks
          • B’Tslemen
          • Boycott, Disinvestment, Sanctions: Solidarity (Palestine & Israel)
          • Ella Keidar Greenberg
          • Emek Shaveh
          • Jenin Freedom Theatre
          • Left (Palestine, Israel)
            • Saadia Marziano
            • Abdul Wahab
            • Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi
            • Juliano Mer-Khamis
            • Khalil Abu Yahia
            • Moshé Machover
            • Reuven Kaminer
            • Tamar Pelleg-Sryck
            • Tanya Reinhart
            • Uri Avnery
            • Vittorio Arrigoni
            • Vivian Silver
          • Matzpen
          • Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI)
          • Radical bloc (Israel)
          • Refaat Alareer
          • Salah Hamouri
          • Shovrot Kirot (“Breaking Walls”)
          • Standing Together (Israel)
          • Walid Daqqa
        • Palestinian movements (others)
          • Hamas (Palestine)
        • Palestinian movements (previous period) (Palestine & Israel)
        • Secret services
        • Society (Palestine & Israel)
      • Qatar (Eng)
        • Football World Cup (Qatar)
        • Migrants (Qatar)
      • Saudi Arabia
        • Women (Saudi Arabia)
        • Fundamentalism, sharia (Saudi Arabia)
        • Migrants (Saudi Arabia)
        • Society, history ( (Saudi Arabia))
      • Somalia
      • Syria
        • Kurdistan (Syria)
        • Pandemics (Health, Syria)
        • Women (Syria)
        • Economy (Syria)
        • History, society, culture (Syria)
        • International left (Syria)
        • Natural disasters (Syria)
        • Secularity (Syria)
        • The Left (Syria)
          • Munif Mulhem
          • Revolutionary Left (Syria)
          • Riad al-Turk (Syria)
          • Sadiq al-Azm
      • Tunisia
        • Women (Tunisia)
        • Economy (Tunisia)
        • Ennahdha, Islamism (Tunisia)
        • LGBTQ+ (Tunisia)
        • Migration, racism (Tunisia)
        • On the Left (Tunisia)
          • Ahlem Belhadj
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Yemen
        • Women (Yemen)
        • LGBTQ+ (Yemen)
    • Polar Regions
      • Antarctica
        • Women (Antartica)
      • Arctic
    • South Pacific
      • Epidemics, Pandemics (health, South Pacific)
      • Australia
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, Australia)
        • Women, (Australia)
          • Reproductive Rights (Australia)
        • Disasters - Humanitarian and ecological (Australia)
        • History (Australia)
        • History of people’s struggles (Australia)
        • LGBT+ (Australia)
        • Migrant / Migration (Australia)
        • Racism (Australia)
        • Regional Role (Australia)
      • Easter Island
      • Fiji
      • Hawaii
        • Natural Disasters (Hawaii)
      • Kanaky / New Caledonia
      • Marshall Islands (inc. Bikini Atoll)
      • Micronesia
        • Guam
      • Nauru
      • New Zealand / Aotearoa
        • Women (New Zealand/Aotearoa)
        • Epidemics, pandemics (health, New Zeland)
        • New Zealand/Aotearoa: Racism
      • Papua New Guinea
        • Papua New Guinea: Epidemics, pandemics (health)
      • Polynesia (French)
      • Solomon Islands
      • Tonga
      • Vanuatu
  • Home
  • Autres/Others
  • English
  • Français
  • Home
  • English
  • Issues
  • Faith, religious authorities, secularism
  • Secularism, laïcity
  • Bangladesh and the shrinking space for free thinkers: ‘Don’t call me (…)

OPINION

Bangladesh and the shrinking space for free thinkers: ‘Don’t call me Muslim, I am an atheist’

Saturday 21 March 2015, by NASREEN Taslima

  
  • Women
  • Bangladesh (Eng)
  • Muslims / Moslem
  • Fundamentalism / Fundamentalist
  • Rights (women)
  • Violence (women)
  • ROY Avijit

Writer-in-exile Taslima Nasreen calls for reining in religious fundamentalism, saying that criticism of religion is not the domain of non-Muslim intellectuals alone.

Writer Taslima Nasreen fled Bangladesh in 1994 when extremists threatened to kill her for criticising Islam, and has been living in exile since. Her country has, in recent times, seen many intellectuals expelled or killed. Ahmed Rajib Haider, an atheist blogger who wrote under the name Thaba Baba, was hacked to death after the Shahbag protests in 2013. In February this year, atheist blogger Avijit Roy was killed in Dhaka by extremist groups for his writings on the Bangla blog Mukto-Mona (Free Thinker) that he founded. Feminist and secular humanist Ms Nasreen now lives in New Delhi. In an interview with Suvojit Bagchi, she spoke about the shrinking space for free thinkers in Bangladesh and says that Islam cannot be exempt from the critical scrutiny that other religions go through.

Suvojit Bagchi – Tell us a little bit about Avijit Roy.

Taslima Nasreen – I knew Avijit for a long time. He started Mukto-Mona to accommodate writings of atheists and humanists, as newspapers do not publish their work. Avijit was a science blogger and a free thinker, an atheist and a rationalist, who wanted to secure a space to dissect and debate issues. Later, he turned his blogs into books. Mukto-Mona became a window through which people could look at each other and raise questions about all religions, including Islam. In Bangladesh, over a period, the space for free thinkers has been disappearing. Avijit brought it back using a new platform… precisely why his contribution is outstanding.

When and how exactly did this space for free thinkers start shrinking?

The change was noticed at the time of General Hussain Ershad in the mid-1980s. A secular Constitution was given away to make Islam the state religion. I have witnessed the mass movement of 1969, the newly independent country of the 70s… the situations then were different. People could voice their opinion and women hardly wore the hijab or the burqa. But society slowly changed. For instance, whatever I wrote in the 1980s, early 90s — criticising Islam and women’s condition in Islamic societies — was published in newspapers with a wide circulation. But that cannot be imagined now. Freedom of expression is an alien term now.

Why has this change taken place?

The progressive community is partly responsible. When I was expelled in 1994, the whole of society went silent. If this community had objected then, Bangladesh would not have had a society in which an Avijit is hacked to death, a Humayun Azad targeted or an Ahmed Rajib Haider killed for criticising Islam. Perhaps the conflict in Bangladesh is whether to have a country on the basis of language or on the basis of religion.

How can this be resolved?

“We must stop stoning women to death in the name of religion. Laws should be based on equality, not on religion”

Bangladesh was born on the idea of a secular Bengali nation. Since 1952, Bengali Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians have wanted their state language to be Bengali, not Urdu. The people who opposed our independence, along with the Pakistani army, killed three million Bengalis in 1971 and are now involved in the Islamisation of Bangladesh. They are killing free thinkers and intellectuals. Pakistan is a country which is based on religion. But the Bangladesh constitution must remain secular, and separate state from religion. We must have secular education rather than education through madrassas. The government must not let the country become a safe haven for religious extremists.

People say your criticism of religion is rather excessive and provocative.

I said religion oppresses women. Laws should be based on equality, not on religion; women should have equal rights in marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance. I said we must stop stoning women to death in the name of religion. Is that provocation? Every civilised state has questioned the relationship of the state with religion, eventually disentangling and distancing the two. Islam should not be exempt from the critical scrutiny that other religions have gone through. My opinion is based on my belief in secular humanism. If that is provocative, then it is absolutely necessary to provoke.

But it’s often said that your writings strengthen fundamentalism.

Governments are strengthening fundamentalism, not me. When religious fanatics set a price on my head, instead of taking action against them, the government targeted me. The Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party joined hands with these forces and so did the caretaker government. Even in West Bengal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led government expelled me; the Imam Barkati of the Tipu Sultan Mosque, who set a price on my head, was adored by the Marxists. Interestingly, Mamata Banerjee befriended the Imam as soon as she came to power.

Another allegation is that by making statements against Islam, you strengthen the right wing in India.

Absolute nonsense. I criticise all religions, including Hinduism. I opposed Hindu godmen, rituals such as karva chauth and shivaratri, and condemned the oppression of Muslims in Gujarat. I donated Rs.10,000 to poet Shankha Ghosh, who was collecting funds for rehabilitating Gujarat riot victims. I objected to the oppression of Hindus in Bangladesh, Jews in Nazi Germany, Muslims in Bosnia, Palestine and Christians in Pakistan. I also wrote in favour of films such as PK, Water and The Last Temptation of Christ. Please don’t call me a Muslim, I am an atheist.

When Indian rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and CPI leader Govind Pansare were killed, you were silent.

Who told you? You need to check my Twitter account to find out about my reactions and how the Hindu right-wing elements abused me for that. However, it is true that I consider Islamic fundamentalism a bigger threat.

As do many western countries…

Only the western world thinks that Islamic fundamentalism is dangerous? Rather, it’s the opposite — the West is keen to side with Islamists.

As a Muslim writer, your work often reflects the West’s paranoia about Islam. Is the West forcing you to say what it wants?

Are you saying Muslims cannot have a mind of their own to criticise their religion? Is criticism of religion the domain of non-Muslim intellectuals? That is an anti-Muslim remark, seriously.

What could be Bangladesh’s future?

The country will be heading for a complete disaster if Islamic terrorists are not brought to justice. However, given the past record, nothing will happen and such incidents will increase in the coming months, as they are intrinsically connected with politics.


P.S.

* The Hindu, March 21, 2015. Updated: March 23, 2015 18:34 IST.

* Corrections and Clarifications - The article has been corrected for a factual error.

No specific license (default rights)


  • Newsletters
  • Search by author
  • Search by keyword
  • Websites
  • 36668 english articles
  • 36803 french articles
  • 27767 authors
  • 853 Web sites

Also in this section

  • Celebrating Dissent 2022, Report: You can cut the flowers but you cannot stop the Spring
  • How secularism – as opposed to laïcity – is intimately linked to communalism
  • Declaration on the Celebration of Dissent 2022
  • Secularists and free thinkers - Maryam Namazie on the freedom to choose
  • Secularism and the colonial legacy – How it impacts on women’s universal rights and on democracy
  • In Latin America, campaigns for religious freedom are usually the opposite
  • Secular Rescue: The Underground Railroad for Atheists
  • 25 years since 1989: women working against fundamentalism in the UK
  • Secular space: bridging the religious-secular divide? – Fundamentalism and the need for a secular state
  • Largest gathering of ex-Muslims in history – The International Conference on Freedom of Conscience and Expression

1996-2025  — Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières
What about us ? | Site Map | Credits | Log in |  RSS 2.0 | Twitter | Facebook | Contact

SPIP