Four people were killed and more than 200 injured in Bangladesh yesterday as hundreds of Islamists clashed with police in Dhaka and other major cities demanding execution of “atheist bloggers” they accused of blasphemy.
Islamists hate atheists. Their banner says, ‘ We demand the death penalty for atheist bloggers because they use obscene language to criticize Allah, Muhammad and the Quran.’ The banner carries the pictures of atheist bloggers. Asif Mohiuddin is among them. Asif was brutally stabbed by the Islamists a month ago.
His blog is known for its criticism of religions in one of the most conservative parts of the world. Even though Asif is a popular blogger, it is not easy for him to continue publishing his blogs. Islamic newspapers wrote against Asif Mohiuddin and his anti Islamic writings.
Cops asked him to stop writing.
Index for censorship is concerned about Asif’s freedom of expression.
Rajib Haider, another atheist blogger was slaughtered just a few days ago, for saying state and religion should be separated, education system should be completely secular, and politics must not be based on religion.
A few years ago Humayun Azad , an atheist writer, became the victim of a vicious assassination attempt by the Islamists.
Because of the recent barbaric killing of atheists in Bangladesh, Dhormockery, an excellent blog on atheism, created by courageous Bengali atheists is suspended.
Instead of saying ‘they are atheists and they have the right to express their opinions against religion, no one has the right to kill them like no one has the right to kill religous people for being religious’, the liberal and secular people who have been fighting Islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh, saying, ‘ Jamaat-e-Islami goons are trying to prove they are atheists, but they are not atheists, they are good people (as if atheists are not good people!). We want justice for the murder of bloggers’. It is very alarming that the word atheist is considered as an obscene word in Bangladesh and liberal people do not try to do anything for the freedom of expression of atheists. If not now, then when?
I hope Dhormockery will start again soon. I hope Asif and other atheist bloggers will not be threatened anymore. And after the banning of Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamic terrorist organization, the Islamic killers and abusers will go back to their caves where they really belong.
I am probably insulting the ancient cave people. They were obviously much better than today’s Islamists!
For outsiders current events in Bangladesh are hard to follow. To understand the recent demonstrations it is necessary to recall the events of 1971, yet given the demographics of BD I guess many in the streets today
are demanding death penalties for people whose crimes were committed before they were born. Outsiders
will just throw up their hands, and cover their face and say ‘I know nothing about this ! I know nothing about the Lebanese civil war ! I know nothing abaout those two women that dominated Bangla politics for so long. etc.’
Although we live in the age of the Internet we also live in an age where history is being written even faster than it happens, because the narrative of Capitalism wants to brush over inconvenient facts. These inconvenient facts include the elite living in fortified compounds (the same, anywhere in the world) with shopping malls and Disneneyesque monuments for the rich, while the poor work in sweatshops, or they can become slaves or servants.
Neo Con people in the West want to write the 1960s out of history, because the hippy age of Sex & Drugs & Rock and Roll were there with freedoms we can barely imagine today. The 1960s was a time of airline flights from Tel Aviv to Beirut, and there were girl’s schools in places like Tehran, Kabul and even Jeddah where
the young women might think they would become doctors, scientists and engineers.
After the 1960s Neo-Cons attempted to re-assert their power from the people by drug wars, genocide, and state terrorism.
It seems some Bengali bloggers are getting murdered for saying that history goes through various cycles of tragedy and farce. Talking about Machiavelli and Galileo goes down badly in some places even now. Much of
the chatter on conventional media is just an expedience by the rich to keep the poor in their places and so they try to brush inconvenient truths aside.
.
This whole exposition has next to nothing to do with the article. What are you on about?
The only thing hard to follow here is your….essay? What does ANYTHING you have to say have to do with the fact that Islamists are murdering atheists by tracking them via the internet?
“It seems some Bengali bloggers are getting murdered for saying that history goes through various cycles of tragedy and farce.” Are you nuts? They’re being murdered because they’re atheists, the article says so! Or are you trying to defend Islamist extremism by trying to blame it on sociological and historical factors that have nothing to do with the issue at hand?
Reality check, dude…
What an irrelevant load of sh1te! I think you’ve completely missed the point. Go back to your self-loathing, capitalism hating world.
এই লেখাটির ভীষণ প্রয়োজন ছিল। বাংলায় নাস্তিক্যচর্চায় অনেক উৎসাহ যোগাবে এই লেখা। ধন্যবাদ তসলিমাকে। আমরা চিরকাল আপনার সঙ্গে আছি।
Pretty weak in their faith if they are afraid that someone’s words can destroy it. Pretty low opinion of their god if they think he can not take criticism. Poorly evolved ethics to choose violence to combat words.
If their “god” is powerful enough to create the universe yet doesn’t “punish” atheists itself, proves one of two things:
(1) Their “god” doesn’t exist, in which case, their religion is silly and deserves mockery, and the believers have no right to commit violence.
(2) Their “god” isn’t “offended” by what atheists said – it would have act on its own behalf if it were. Their “god’s” inaction means the believers have no right be “offended” or commit violence.
Either way, violence committed by believers is their own action, done by their own motivation, not that of a “god”.
ধর্মাচরন থাকতে পারে ব্যাক্তিগত জীবনের অঙ্গ হিসাবে।
বর্তমান যুগে রাজনীতিতে / দেশ শাসনে ধর্ম ব্যান হওয়া বিশেষ প্রয়োজন।
এসব দেখে দুঃখ লাগে, আমাদের যেন কিছুই করার নাই!
Terribly sorry to see that Bangladesh is such a basket-case. Although I’m terribly impressed by the “atheist bloggers” who have the guts to stand up against the “conventional wisdom”, the Islamic dogma.
But one can’t help but reach the conclusion that, as Ibn Warraq [Why I Am Not a Muslim] argued, Islam really is entirely antithetical to democracy, and that no Muslims should be permitted into Western countries unless they renounce and repudiate their religion.
>no Muslims should be permitted into Western countries unless they renounce and repudiate their religion.
so you’re a fascist then?
please make your way back to stormfront.
you have gone so far the other way you’ve become exactly like the people you’re outraged at.
do you not see the irony of banning beliefs for democracy? either you want democracy or you don’t.
no what should be banned and enshrined in the constitution is a ban on religion dictating politics.
hello your a wastman for saying that and also look at ur name saying allah is a pedo!! Astagfirulla i hope allah gives you the worst life in this world and the world after! you should be dead
Since Muslim religion dictates the murder of all infidels, excluding all practitioners of said religion would fall under the heading of self-preservation for all other peoples, and is NOT an unreasonable or irrational concept. History has repeatedly shown us the truth and wisdom of such a practice. Look at Europe today, AGAIN! This isn’t their first effort at allowing the Muslims in, and clearly the Muslims haven’t changed a bit since they were last driven out.
In democracy, even Islamic views have a voice. Once in power, the first thing that Sharia law dictates is to remove democracy, and most other rights and freedoms.
Oh, get over yourself. That’s like someone looking at Westboro Baptist Church and assuming that all Christians are JUST LIKE THAT. So shut up and stop being a uneducated. Remember there are a billion of them. Most of them are not crazy. Just takes a few and mass propaganda to make the rest look bad.
A few? Like 200,000??
.01% of a billion…1 million…hmmm
*You’re an idiot. (I hope you’re being ironic) Other than that, you’re correct, the whole of Islam shouldn’t be judged based on what the sensationalist media chooses to put in front of our 30 second attention spans.
Islam, AS PRACTICED BY MOST OF THE MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD, dictates killing infidels, blasphemers, gays, atheists, ‘immoral’ women, etc. This dictate may not be encoded in the law, but most often is practiced by the populace of Muslim countries.
antony goddard said (#1):
No doubt that one can lay some of the blame at the doorstep of the “rich” for keeping “the poor in their places”. But one might also argue that Islam – and all those who promote it – with its anti-intellectualism and its anti-science is far more culpable in doing that.
Faith sure is threatened by reason. Steersman, all mono-deistic faiths are anti-democracy, but this violence shows where Islamist fundamentalism stands. What pathetic freaks.
SAVE HUMANKIND’
Terrorize the Terrorist
&
Fuck ‘OM Shanti OM’
dhormockery.com has been blocked in Bangladesh for about a year, but that blog has a mirror (dhormockery.net) which can be seen from Bangladesh. It previously announced that in case of blocking the mirror it will open another one in no time.
Steersman:
That’s not how it works and you know it. There are Muslim-majority countries which are reasonably democratic (Turkey and Indonesia spring to mind as good examples – of course they’re not perfectly secular but you could hardly call them autocracies). Islam as an ideology may be entirely antithetical to democracy, but humans are remakably good at mental compartmentalisation, so there is no reason in principle why people can’t be Muslims and take part in a democratic society as long as they don’t let the antidemocratic aspects of Islam entirely hijack their brains. The same is true of Christianity – the only system of government that the Bible seems to be able to envisage is a theocratic monarchy, and yet a huge proportion of the world’s Christians manage to keep democracy alive in their countries.
But more generally, no one should be denied entry to anycountry solely on the basis of their beliefs. If their beliefs are true, they will be able to demonstrate to the citizens of that country that they are true. And if they are not true, they will just have to live with their inability to persuade people of them.
Of course, if someone with a religious or other anti-rational ideology incites or commits acts of violence in furtherance of that ideology, that would be justification for barring them. And if they espouse an ideology that is divisive and repressive, no country should be under any obligation to give that ideology any place within its legal system, and no citizen of any country should be deterred from publicly disagreeing with that ideology, but the freedom of though and the freedom of expression are rights that we cannot afford to rescind on a whim if we are to have any claim to justice, or even just to intellectual honesty.
whether a belief is “true” or not is beside the point. the problem arises from the behavior that emerges as a result of a belief system (BS).
Human beings are perhaps now in terror only or becoming terrorised and no other big prospect to our lame and limited scientific pace.Not atheists scientisare at aback.
Wow. I just read the link about Asif Mohiuddin and his police detention. What a bunch of authoritarian assholes. Bangladesh has an uphill battle.
That’s just bigotry, but totally unsurprising given Steersman’s relentless opposition to anything having to do with women’s equality. Bigotries flock together.
Ok. I’m unaware of Steersman’s issues with women, but I have to point out that his statement that you quoted is reported speech– that he was actually quoting another person’s words.
In fact, the person who said those words originally, is a former muslim, now atheist. His stuff is easily available to read. I can’t quite work out how quoting another person who belongs to the group whom you claim is the victim of bigotry… is bigotry.
I might have agreed that refusing to allow the immigration of a whole class of people is a bit unreasonable– right up to the moment that you started whining about bigotry. Islam is a religion, not a race of people. A religion is an idea. One cannot be bigoted against an idea.
Besides, claiming that hating a religion of bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia– is bigotry is like calling people who hate Nazis bigots.
Have you read the Quran? If you had you’d know Islam IS antithetical to democracy, even more so than christianity.
Religion is the worst expression of human intellect since we left the trees.
Islam is a direct threat to our survival as a species.
He was quoting someone, but he was also agreeing with the quote.
Although many forms of Islam such as the one here are terrible, there are many branches of Islam which are very benign (such as the ones generally held by Muslims in western countries).
Religion is not a typical belief like the belief that the earth is round – to the average person it’s more of an identity, and a part of their culture. Many people mold their religion to their beliefs rather than than the other way around. Blocking people from entering the country unless they renounce their culture is bigotry.
And no, Islam is not a direct threat to our survival as a species. That’s ridiculous.
one, the person who earlier suggested not allowing immigration of Muslims who refused to renounce their faith is NOT an issue of disagreement with an idea, instead, it is the very DEFINITION of bigotry.
two, people who don’t like naziism are indeed responding to an idea, people who discriminate against others solely on the basis of them BEING nazis, is indeed bigotry.
you seem very confused on these issues. Take a breath, think on it some.
And that, people, is the “religion of peace”.
“Peace”, of course, being redefined as “hacking the people we don’t like to death”, with no sense of irony whatsoever.
But this is by no means unique to islam.
All religions, given free reign, end up like a version of this, and those of us who live in countries where things are better would do well to keep it in mind.
I note the title of this blog, No country for Women ,and i would argue it is correctly labeled, given the track record of Islam on women’s rights not only in Bangladesh, but all over the world.( stat:Bangledesh 97%Muslim) .
When Taslima draws attention to atheist bloggers who are being attacked for blogging as atheists it would seem to me that the rights of women are also being furthered because atheists which includes atheist bloggers, are respectful of women’s rights
As an atheist and a humanist i applaud Asif and others who have had the courage to speak out against the horrible atrocities that are happening around them.To me a natural progression occurs from atheism to humanism to women’s rights.
“TERRORISTS HAVE NO RELIGION BUT WHO SAID RELIGION HAS NO TERROR??????”
The recent Shahbag Square Craze in BD moves the whole world with such type of horrible news… Wonder Jamaties r trying to SAVE their Allah (Who is suppose to SAVE d human Race!!) by slaughtering Atheist and even some non-religious Bloggers !! Its noteworthy dat even a cyber writer / Pen (?) sorry .. A keyboard can place the GOD with his entire religious oracle & bla bla..under A BIG QUESTION !!!! this BD restlessness proves GOD/ Allah IS DEAD and his obedient servents r trying their hardest to SAVE his ashes!!! Bullshit ! Hey extrimists… Its time to BE HUMAN.
Oo you all the Muslim, all of you enjoy to kill peoples for you to enter your heaven that full with murderer and suicide bomber, I tell you the truth your heaven actually is hell. That is your place forever if you not found the truth. No one can help you when you has been throw there in hell and your eternal life will be full of tormented and suffer. You all has been cheated by devil. Get out from and believe on Jesus, his teach is full with love and can make you can enter real heaven that full with peace. Repent as still have the time and don’t let it to be too late
The incredible irony of your posting Christian fundamentalist material on a story by an atheist about other atheists being killed by Muslim fundamentalists would be funny, if it were not so offensive.
+1 on that reply.
Any place filled with rabid god-botherers, whether they call it allah or jeebus, is already a real word hell.
Whatever you may imagine your devil doing to people, it pales in comparison to what ordinary humans do in the name of their so-called “loving” god.
We mock someones Loved and Dear ones and expect them to keep quiet in the name of freedom of expression. What nonsense?
“SHUT UP…While We make FUN of YOUR RELIGION”….Is that the motto of Freedom of expression?
What about their (Muslims) freedom of expression?
Who are You (atheist) to tell or dictate them on how to Express their Anger.
You(atheist) chose Your way of Expression without consulting Muslims…So Muslims chose their way of Expression without consulting you.
Imagine me standing in front of someone and am making fun of his Mother. Do you think he is gonna care what the freedom of expression dictates or allows?
As an Atheist you are allowed to express anything in the most decent and civilized manner possible but you are NOT ALLOWED to MOCK & make Fun of anyone’s Love (Mother or Prophet).
If You think You Atheist have the right to ATTACK THEM (Their Love,Mother Or prophet) VERBALLY….What makes You think that they don’t have to right to attack you PHYSICALLY.
What I see is….. Its ALWAYS…..ALWAYS…ALWAYS YOU ATHEIST who provoke them FIRST.
Bangladeshi Atheists got a lot to learn from the “Ethics of Civilized conversation”.
May be they can learn some from People like Richard Dawkins or his likes.
Shah Noor.
I’m really not sure if you’re serious, but I’ll take a go at answering.
“Freedom of expression” means the right to assert opinions on issues. It would cover verbal attacks by atheists against Muslims. It would also cover verbal attacks by Muslims against atheists.
However, physical violence is not part of freedom of expression. If I attack your ideas verbally, then respond back and attack my ideas verbally. You seem to be arguing that saying something that offends someone and using violence against them are equivalent forms of expression. Laws about violent retaliation require proof that the person ‘starting it’ either initiated violence or openly threatened violence. Mocking a person’s beliefs is not a threat of violence.
If I say that Religion X is idiotic drivel, then the followers of Religion X can either argue against it or critique my beliefs. That’s two equivalent forms of expressions. If I say something critical of Religion X shooting me is not an equivalent expression. One is stating an opinion, one is using violence.
So you think people have a right to kill anyone they disagree with?
So if an atheist hacked to death a Muslim for saying atheists should be hacked to death… you are ok with that?
Or does your bullshit only apply when you dislike the person who ends up dead?
Quote….”So you think people have a right to kill anyone they disagree with?”
Do you think people have a right to MOCK & MAKE FUN of anyone they disagree with?
It not a business transaction here, where you try to balance a Balance Beam my friend.
If you think you have to the Right to choose, How you attack the Islamist ….You must also agree that, They too have the right to choose, How they attack the Atheist.
Who are You to tell them what means they choose to use, when they didn’t dictate Your choice in the first place?
Its You who Started the Game. So let them Finish it.
They were silent when You chose to mock….So Why cry now when they chose to answer?
I believe 100% that people have a right to mock anything they disagree with. Totally. So if Muslims want to mock atheists, they can go ahead. There are rules that civilized people tend to live by which mean freedom of expessio, not freedom to use violence.
It seems like you are arguing that people can just choose that it’s okay to engage in violence against people who mock them since violence is exactly the same type of ‘choice’ as mocking a religion. That’s not exactly two equivalent things here. Nobody *DIES* when someone mock religion. You can freely ignore the mockery of any religion, but people cannot ignore violence being inflicted on them.
All said, Islam needs better PR.
Your Statement…” Islamists have never been *silent* about people mocking their religion.”…proves beyond doubt that Atheist are the AGGRESSORS first and Islamist are On the Defensive. They were always On the defensive in any Mocking in The past.
Quote…” If an atheist mocks lslam, go back and mock atheism.”
WHY JUST Mock Atheism? Why Not be able to KICK Atheism?
Who made the Rules that we must respond ” ONLY ” by Mocking them back?…. Who?
If Responding back the same Way is the ONLY Rule….then why didn’t the Atheist follow that Rule in the first place when they were the first to Attack Islam while Islamist Were SILENT?
Is that how You claim to be Totally Consistent here by Supporting Atheist for attacking a Silent Group first , then supporting them even though they failed to keep the standard or “equivalency ” against that Silent group.
Why did they Choose To attack rather than keep the Silence like the Islamist, if equivalency is the Rule of this War.
And you cry when the same lead is applied by The Islamist against the Atheist.
Why the double Standard? Why cant You agree with the Islamist when they are following The examples set out by the Atheists?
You believe 100% that people have a right to mock anything they disagree with. Totally. …Wow
What i thought was people had more civilized way of dealing with anything they disagreed with…like Discussion, Debate and involve in Healthy & Constructive criticism.
Other than some very few…Atheist had always resorted to Mocking of Other religion, when they always had the other options I stated above. And in the West Its the Atheist Who turn down any or almost every Invitation to a debate or Discussions. Which shows which group is really Civilized.
And when Your Civilized Laws(which u follow) allows You to Insult & Mock and attack some one just becoz he doesn’t like them… In that case I must remind You that Islamist believe that They have a Right to Take Revenge however they like to against any mocking…even though forgiveness is Encouraged and Most preferred by their God.
So in other words You are Showing me some RULES that muslims dont live by.
Atheist follow and take shelter of Secular state laws in times of problem….they dont realize that they are ignorant of the Law their Opponent Lives by.
Yes i agree that nobody DIES when someone mocks religion.
But the death of one man is FAR TO LESS in comparison to the level of Mass Anger, Pain & Socioeconomic Disruption that comes as a result of mockery…Right ?
You said…”Violence & mockery ….are NOT exactly two equivalent things here.”
Then how come you say that….Initial Silence of the Islamist & Mockery by the Atheist are two equivalent things?
Real consistency problem here.
Shah Noor Pervez said //WHY JUST Mock Atheism? Why Not be able to KICK Atheism?
Who made the Rules that we must respond ” ONLY ” by Mocking them back?…. Who?//
Well, I do not know who made this rule. But I found that all civilized people follow this. May be it’s their gut reaction, and Muslims lack that.
//then why didn’t the Atheist follow that Rule in the first place when they were the first to Attack Islam while Islamist Were SILENT?//
Well, if you read the Qur’an then you’ll finds that Islam was never silent about the non-believers 🙂
Mr. Pavez, may I ask a personal question – are you from Pakistan?
Your most recent post is flawed in many ways. So by your logic, which is extremely flawed, I should have the right to kill or severely main every Muslim I should come across because of what the Quran says about atheists.
Now I will quote you ” What i thought was people had more civilized way of dealing with anything they disagreed with…like Discussion, Debate and involve in Healthy & Constructive criticism.” —-Now why don’t you follow your own advice. Stories like this convince me more and more each day that I chose right not to believe in some misguided, wind-whisperers.
Don’t get me wrong, I respect your right to have your religion, no matter how misguided you are. You can even mock/criticize/or comment other religions or people of no religion, but whenever you raise a hand in agression towards another individual for any reason, that is when you are in the wrong.
Also if your religion is so easily mocked you should find another, or denounce religion all together since it is a sickness on this Earth. The 3 Abrahamic religions (Islam, Christianity, and Ba’hai) but namely Islam and Christianity are the worst religions to ever exist. Even the religions in south and central America where they sacrificed other people is better than your religion.
Also, atheist have never provoked you guys first. In every major religion, for thousands of years, it was and is beyond sin to be an atheist, to the point of death for the individual. Atheists have had to live in hiding and many still do for fear of their life. And even if an atheist provokes you now, atheism has had to deal with more shit from other religions than any other religion.
All I can fully say after reading all of your posts, is I hope you do not conceive because I do not want anyone to have to share your genes. You are truly flawed in your logic, and your fundamental views are completely skewed to your perspective. You are a lowly individual with a backwards religion with radical views. I have plenty of Muslim friends who would be completely ashamed to read your previous comments.
Have a nice life asshole 😀
Who made the Rules that we must respond ” ONLY ” by Mocking them back?
The “rules” were passed down from one generation to the next by enlightened individuals who value human life and understand the concept of civility. As children, we are taught sticks and stones can break your bones but words cannot hurt you. We learn that words, thoughts, and ideas are good things. Civilized societies do not believe it is permissible to kill another human being on the grounds of verbal disagreement.
It is a wonderful thing that humankind has the ability to think. We have the right as human beings to believe what we are told, or we can think for ourselves and perhaps conclude differently from that which we were told to believe. We are not robots. We have not been programmed to live one way or another. If we choose not to believe in a thing that someone else believes, it is not an attack on that person. The non-believer is not mocking the believer simply by voicing his difference of opinion. Opinions are not offences. They do not deserve the punishment of death. Civilized people will look at the photographs above and be horrified by man’s inhumanity to his fellow man and would never assume they got what they deserved.
Because Shah,Murder&slaughter are NOT “expressions”,they are the actions of small minded,hateful BIGOTS,be they Muslim or any other flavor of religion,and Murder is WRONG no matter WHO you are.get you head out of that toxic stew of Fundamentalism,it’s nothing more than mind control to get you to do the bidding of the elite who don’t believe a damn word of the religious nonsense they spew.But by keeping folks like you ignorant,fearful&breeding hate,they convince you that Atrocity is a form of “Expression”,and you get YOUR hands dirty instead of them.It’s ALL political ploys for them to remain in Power&you powerless.It ISN’T OK,it’s called trying to justify your horrific&barbaric actions because you are too brainwashed&stupid to actually hold a conversation&be able to try&refute what someone is saying,so you resort to barbarism.’
Attacking someones Mother”-and since WHEN was Allah a Female anyway?Islam is NOT known for being female friendly,what with all the rapes,stonings and beheadings as punishment for what Men do to THEM,not the other way around,so right there you’ve been outed as FOS. What happened,get your Myths confused again?There is absolutely NO excuse,justification or reasoning that will EVER make slaughtering someone for discussing religion,even if it’s a dissenting opinion OK,EVER.And you WONDER why Islam is reviled so much by most of The world,as is Fundamentalist Christianity?These Pictures give all proof needed.Wanting people to see your beliefs as “good”or peaceful’ and then slaughtering those who disagree..You’re doing it WRONG.
Okay then, I suppose us non-muslims have the right to kill every muslim blogger who writes in their blogs about how a non-muslim would burn in hell and how they are decieved, ill-hearted people. Get some sense into your brain. Voicing once opinions and physical assault are two very different things seperated by a very thick wall. You cannot cross over in the name of freedom of expression.
I just hope there are very less people with your kind of mentality in this world. Im a hindu, and I know there are such extremist people in hinduism too. Beliefs and opinions can be anything. Muslims also have the right to retort, but just verbally. how the heck is this so difficult to comprehend.
//Why did they Choose To attack rather than keep the Silence like the Islamist, if equivalency is the Rule of this War.//
Of course, because murdering people is somehow comparable to verbally mocking them.
You’re blaming atheists for making fun of your religion, but did you ever realize that you’re basically admitting that your ilk CANNOT help but be violent, unreasonable psychopaths who are incapable of addressing criticism or flak rationally?
Only children throw tantrums when they can’t get what they want, or don’t want to hear criticism.
Grow the fuck up, you self-entitled brat.
who are muslims to tell that kuran is the ultmate book of mankind. why does kuran command muslms to kill atheists, and non beleivers where ever they find them. you cant deny that kuran is a terror manual rather than anything related to holiness. of coures prophet himself is a terorrist!
In the name of God people are taking any weapons against human beings…
This things are happening all over the world…..
Dear Taslima Nasreen,
I strongly believe that we should always have the right of freedom of expression in accordance to international and Bangladeshi laws, by which we can criticize and question any law, any government, any religious organization and religious dogmas. Many thanks for the nice post.
You are one of our leaders in this battle against religious fundamentalism, religious organizations and religious dogmas. Please keep writing…
Thank you Asif..
nice to know about you from my Idol Taslima didi..
how r u at present? ur photo says how much pain u got 4rm d jamati attacks..its really terrible. very sorry to see it.
But I must admit that, u definitely are one of the true revolutinaries who can fight straight from the front row..whatever come in ur way..plz dont giv up..we r with u.. Religion’s guardians r afraid of ppl like u, me, us..they r sacred of rational thinkers and logical Atheists. so, if u r at their gun point , it proves that U r really a nightmare to them..so keep fightig.. but if feel life-risk, think twice to stay in dat utter darkness, just be alart.
My best wishes r with u.
Quote…”You seem to be arguing that saying something that offends someone and using violence against them are equivalent forms of expression.”
So Now You are talking about “Equivalence” here after the Atheist Provoked the problem first.
Where was the question of Equivalency when the Islamist were Silent ?
Why Should the Islamist be confined to just your defined standard of freedom of Expression?(ie: Their attack MUST be “verbal” becoz we atheist made it verbal.)
Why should You dictate their action or decide how they choose to attack you?
So Basically what You are saying is, they must use the tool that WE CHOOSE for them?
No My friend, they might have a DIFFERENT choice than yours, They have all the right to choose their favorite TOOL to attack you.They can Choose the Verbal tool or any other Tool…Its all up to them. Its their choice if they want to use Verbal “Freedom of Expression” or Physical ” Freedom of Expression”
They Too can FREELY choose how they want to express their anger as Atheist have freely chosen theirs.
No Islamist restricted atheists from using violence, nor did they confine the atheist to just Verbal form of expression.
Its not about Justifying Verbal attack and Physical Attack as equal….My friend.
ITS ABOUT FREEDOM…You had the freedom to choose (how to attack Islam) when Islamist were silent. So why not Keep your silence now when they choose theirs?
If You can FREELY CHOOSE to SLAP an Islamist, Why cant they FREELY CHOOSE to KISS YOU or KICK YOU?
After all both are Free Choices, Isn’t it ??? My dear Friend ( if you are really serious bout Equivalency here)
If I chose to slap an Islamist, they are entitled to use violence in self-defense. Same tool – violence.
Islamists have never been *silent* about people mocking their religion. They have always been vocally against it. If an atheist mocks lslam, go back and mock atheism.
If an Islamist mocked atheism and an atheist retaliated by violence, I would be arguing for the criminal prosecution of the atheist.
As you can see, I’m totally consistent.
By your logic, if a person looked at me in a way I did not like, I should have the right to shoot them because “I can respond however I want to a perceived threat.” No, laws typically require evidence of a threat, or else we’d all be living in a state of anarchy.
All said, I have some brick walls to talk to…
Your Statement…” Islamists have never been *silent* about people mocking their religion.”…proves beyond doubt that Atheist are the AGGRESSORS first and Islamist are On the Defensive. They were always On the defensive in any Mocking in The past.
Quote…” If an atheist mocks lslam, go back and mock atheism.”
WHY JUST Mock Atheism? Why Not be able to KICK Atheism?
Who made the Rules that we must respond ” ONLY ” by Mocking them back?…. Who?
If Responding back the same Way is the ONLY Rule….then why didn’t the Atheist follow that Rule in the first place when they were the first to Attack Islam while Islamist Were SILENT?
Is that how You claim to be Totally Consistent here by Supporting Atheist for attacking a Silent Group first , then supporting them even though they failed to keep the standard or “equivalency ” against that Silent group.
Why did they Choose To attack rather than keep the Silence like the Islamist, if equivalency is the Rule of this War.
And you cry when the same lead is applied by The Islamist against the Atheist.
Why the double Standard? Why cant You agree with the Islamist when they are following The examples set out by the Atheists?
You keep saying that atheists (or other critics) are “the aggressors first” and Islamists are “on the defensive”.
Where on earth did you get that idea? Have you not studied the history of your own faith?
Mohammed was a war leader of 7th century Arabia. Islam spread very rapidly precisely because it was spread by the sword.
The unfortunate truth is that Islamists only form “the silent group” when they are totally and utterly in control.
Thanks Dear friend….You are too Out of topic here.
Plz Dont waste my time here with the History that You like to buy and is comfortable with.
Take care.
YOU ARE WRONG.You do not know anything about ISLAM.Islam says to show respect to other religion and believes and never force anyone to convetr.PROPHET NEVER USE SWORD TO CONVERT PEOPLE.Its a CHALLENGE to you.PROVE ITS TRUE.No one can hide the truth.
“WHY JUST Mock Atheism? Why Not be able to KICK Atheism?”
What, are you five years old? I thought kids were taught that kind of horseshit was wrong from an early age?
Your logic here is truly disturbing. The ideas you’re putting forth are pure fascism. Disagreement, even if it is expressed as mockery, is not cause for violence. That’s completely barbaric thinking. Have we not progressed as human beings at all since the stone age?
Everything you’re saying only furthers the case that the human race will never fully “grow up” until we’ve reached the true age of reason and religion has been eradicated from the earth. Not by violence or intolerance, mind you – but by people simply realizing that the insane shit religion promotes – the kind of shit YOU’RE spouting right now – is never anything than insidious and harmful to society.
“But the death of one man is FAR TO LESS in comparison to the level of Mass Anger, Pain & Socioeconomic Disruption that comes as a result of mockery…Right ?”
Are you serious? Is this seriously a point your trying to make? Mockery causes “Mass Anger, Pain & Socioeconomic Disruption”? Wow. The problem here isn’t mockery, the problem here is a group of people that follow a belief system that causes them to be so immature, small-minded, and hostile that they think mockery of their faith warrants this kind of action.
Quote…”By your logic, if a person looked at me in a way I did not like, I should have the right to shoot them ”
Ha ha…that’s My point my friend…..the exact thing you Atheist have been doing with the Islamist.
Who Acted first…? The Atheist.
Do you see now Who is the problem maker and Who is Shooting first?
Why Hesitate to go to the root of the problem? Is it becoz it came from Your favorite group?
You are just trying cover The Guilt of the Atheist by overlooking their First action that started the problem in the first place…. by pulling peoples attention to the action the Islamist did afterwards as a response to the Atheist Attack.
We can see the game.
What don’t you understand about attacking with words being different than attacking with violence? A child knows its wrong to physically hurt another person. Until and unless Islam understans this all hope is lost. Words can hurt your feelings but they can’t kill you. This is beyond easy to comprehend.
So I guess America,s war against Afghanistan and Iraq are completely fair judging by your logic.
If they kill 4000 Americans, we will kill 4 million of your ilk.You started it and we will finish it.
As an ex-Calcuttan , great job on the blog Taslima. Dhyannobad.
@GCG,not sure what you meant………But
America’s war is very different than the issue of atheists’ being oppressed and killed in our country!
killing a person and criticising a person are two very different thing. Atheists are being killed,only because of their criticism against religions’ oppressions!!
Everyone has the “right” to defend himself/herself. For example,if I give you life-threats and my purpose is to really kill you,what are you gonna do? Are you gonna be happy being threatened by me and tell me to kill you,or are you gonna try to defend yourself? I think,you are gonna try to defend yourself……….
Atheists are being killed in our country,only because they are asking to “change the blasphemy laws” that the state has imposed on them,because atheists are demanding the safety of their life,because atheists are being discriminated!! What makes you think that atheists are wrong and unjust here………
As you can see in Taslima’s article,atheists are being killed just because they are talking against islam and its unjust demands,state imposed blasphemy laws,etc………
No atheist ever killed a muslim or theist/religious people for the criticisms,discrimination and punishments that they impose on the atheists in the name of god! On the other hand,religious people do kill us,or indirectly support the killings of atheists! This is unfair.
We are just asking for our basic rights as a human. We are human,too. We don’t deserve to die only because we want all religious people to stop killing us,to stop suppressing our voice,to stop telling us what we can or can’t do with our life,to stop telling us to live our lives by their imaginary god’s codes of life…….!!!!
there were many prophecies that muhammad (saw) said like fatima (ra) would be the next person in family to expire after me,people will compete to make taller buildings , music would be heard from every home (read tv). etc . so brother the end times are near and what is happening is bound to happen..if islam wasnt true u and they both will live 70 yrs and die….if islam was true u and they both will live 70 yrs and die and then u will enter paradise and they not…..just pray for them..
Thanks Taslima for your timely writing and highlighting the bad conditions in that we atheists are in Bangladesh!!!
If any god asked you to kill pick another god.
these people with their thirst for killing atheists are in fact detrimental for the whole nation. because however aggressive atheists may be in their writings against religion, they are knowledgeable people and are quite good at critically reasoning when it comes to ridiculous beliefs. if they kill atheists they are not only murdering someone but they are also murdering freedom of speech and the practitioners of it. its only fair to question and judge religion the same way it does to every one who opposes it.
I also thank you, Taslima for this article and all you have done. I heard you speak at the GAC in Melbourne 2010. Of all the speakers, only about two received a standing ovation. You were one of them.
I think, too, that certain of those commenting here have been kind enough to supply even more evidence to prove your point.
don’t judges The Religion with people actions, if you fellow people you will never see the truth!!
Hi Rashid,
What I meant was that next time we have Islamists crying about Muslims being killed by USA and USA attacking Islam, we can simply turn back and use Shah Noor Pervez,s logic that its fair to KILL atheists instead of having a rational discussion.
Apparently he doesn’t have any any sense of proportion or common sense so we can do the same and simply kill a bunch of them. They just whine when its convenient to them.
When was the last time you saw Islamists asking questions about Women and Gay rights? How about freedom of religion in Islamic states.
Having lived on this beautiful but troubled planet for over 70 years, what I fail to see is how the followers of the religions of the desert fathers , who profess to worshipping a merciful and compassionate “God” should perpetrate such violence on other human beings in “his” name.
Shear madness.
For the present, I say I like your effort Taslima
Every human being on this planet earth has the right of self defense, to defend their life, liberty, and rightfully acquired property. No State, no social-contract can take away these rights in a legitimate just manner.. Now if the FASCIST ISLAMIST BASTARDS want to do violence in the name of religion, then they MUST be paid back in their own coin. For Self defense, and for the future of human knowledge, progress, liberty, and freedom of though and expression, these FASTIST ISLAMIST and their religion of SLAVES must be destroyed forever from the face of planet earth. NOBODY, NO FUCKING RELIGION CAN CLAIM A MONOPOLY RIGHT OVER TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE, OR GOD.. LONG LIVE LIBERTY AND FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, DESTROY THESE FASCIST ISLAMISTS BUSTARDS FROM THE PLANET EARTH..
This is down right silly. People who follow religion blindly becomes somewhat of a virus, a non functional brain. Anything said against them, held against them or action taken against them always somehow ends up with violence (and FYI am not just talking about the blind followers of ISLAM, all religious nut cases are the same, be it Christian, Jewish, etc). Religion is a virus, once you eliminate that virus the world becomes a HAPPY PLACE!
Great article. Hey, I suggest that we put together money to fly these bloggers here to the U.S. We need more intelligent people, not fewer. If you don’t want them, don’t kill them as your supposed ‘religion of peace’ dictates. Send them here. You already hate us. Let us have the people you hate. Send your gays, your Jews, and your atheists to us. We will take them.
In Australia we have been muzzled by political correctness and freedom of the press has taken yet another backward step because of supposed religious sensitivities. My only advise to all those do- gooders who are prepared to shout and stamp their feet on behalf of their muslin countrymen is study the teachings of Islam as I have been doing and you will soon discover one of the most evil texts ever written. It is absolutely insane that we are allowing this physiological virus to spread unchallenged within our borders.
I thought that I should tell you that:
– I am an atheist
– I am a supporter of your cause
– I live in a cave (well, a cave house – it has electricity, water, internet and TV to name just a few amenities)
Please don’t tell militant Islamists to go and live in caves. They might just do that and bring their religious lunacy with them.
well i dont think the blogger concerened in this article had any right what so ever to make fun of the islami prophet and islami god. he criticizing is one thing and making fun is a different thing alltogether. i dont support hurting the religious feelings of another human being to acheive anyhting as this too is a crime against nature. religious sentiment is a very sensetive part of one belief and ppl will react, violently if necessary if their religion is made fun of. due to asifs action, the jamati leaders of bangladesh got an issue to start a riot scene there and being an intelligent person asif should have know what his actions would lead to. most of the jamati workers are illiterate and have no general knowledge about the modern day world hence we call them chagu(goat). they r domesticated animals of their leaders, they do what ever their leaders tell them to do. ppl like asif knowingly made fun of the religions which cause the riots druing the shahabagh movement and more than 500 jamati workers died within one or two weeks. they were domestic animals to their leaders but to the world they were also human beings. i havent yet seen one single blog that says, this whole massacre could have been stopped, or this man slaughter wasnt right. but the number of blogs ive seen concernig the arrests of the atheist bloggers are more than i can count. secularism is something that i want in bd perhaps more than anyone else, but i dont want asif or pials version of it, i want its true form where everyone will live in peace, where no one will go moving around and poking others belief’s.
the ppl who r concerned, the atheist bloggers, well they knew pretty well, that their actions would lead to more bloodshed, even if it is of the chagus, it was not necessary. they had the cpability to take action but they didnt and all that lead to the incident which divided bd into two parts. :'(
Now we know how u really feel about Bangladesh. we feel like this is not our country any more because we stand against orthodoxy..
NewsReports – Muslims Murder Atheists
The incident happened in Bangladesh is sad and unwanted. Nobody can ethically do physical damage to anyone for just expressing an opinion. Opinion should be countered with opinion only,in a good manner. It is true for all kind of humans regardless of his/her religion,nationality or whatsoever. I severely condemn it as a muslim and adorer of God. I am sorry for you,people. It seems like, still there are some people who call themselves as muslim and do not know how to behave with people. Whoever did those massacre to atheist people, deserve just same punishment as they did to atheists. Yes, I am telling you guys. You have full right to slaughter or kill or wound those who did the same to your people. It is the fragrance of justice. Do it,though if you forgive,it is better. Those incidents are such shame that I can not express. Those incidents just color things of what we love,adore and mean everything to our life. It is a disgusting truth that many of us need to be taught, how to live harmonically with people of various thoughts and beliefs. It is very vital for all of us to respect mutually. No human came for religion,religion came for humans. It is the humanity which resides on supreme position. It is natural law. If the nature is created by God,then it is God’s law too. If Islam has truth resides within,then it will reach people’s heart,someone do not need to be violent or make somekinda law to enforce somebody or such. If we do so,does it not mean we have problems with of what we believe and to hide those ,we do violent things/enforce people or such tyranny? This simple logic seems to be hieroglyphic for many of us. I just pray to my Lord that people change. After all some people are forgetting something like,
Love your enemies—–Matthew 5:44
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. —–John 13:34
Actually, the picture with the Atheist with blood covering his face was his PREVIOUS state. The picture beside it was taken after he evolved.
LOVE THIS IDEA! Props for the work you’ve put into this so far! I noticed (at least in my latest install of WP) that when clicking on the “Articles” section of the admin, the page title (next to the icon) still read, “Posts”.I’ve tracked down the display element for this, and added one line under line 176 of the functions.php:add_filter( esc_html’, change_post_to_article’ );This took care of the name. Thanks again for the hard work!
Atheists will start respecting Islam when Muslims start respecting atheism.
When I hear the word “Islam” I reach for my earplugs.
When I hear the word “sharia” I reach for my revolver.
atheism specially the the agnostic one is stupid religion. They always want separation of state and religion.
Everbody seeking the worth knowledge and you shared this briefly. Good Job