Taslima Nasreen, an award-winning writer, physician, secular humanist and human rights activist, is known for her powerful writings on women oppression and unflinching criticism of religion, despite forced exile and multiple fatwas calling for her death. In India, Bangladesh and abroad, Nasreen’s fiction, nonfiction, poetry and memoir have topped the best-seller’s list.

Taslima Nasreen was born in Bangladesh. She started writing when she was 13. Her writings won the hearts of people across the border and she landed with the prestigious literary award Ananda from India in 1992. Taslima won The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament in 1994. She received the Kurt Tucholsky Award from Swedish PEN, the Simone de Beauvoir Award and Human Rights Award from Government of France, Le Prix de l' Edit de Nantes from the city of Nantes, France, Academy prize from the Royal Academy of arts, science and literature from Belgium. She is a Humanist Laureate in The International Academy for Humanism,USA. She won Distinguished Humanist Award from International Humanist and Ethical Union, Free-thought Heroine award from Freedom From Religion foundation, USA., IBKA award, Germany,and Feminist Press Award, USA . She got the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh prize for Promotion of the Tolerance and Non-violence in 2005. She received the Medal of honor of Lyon. She got honorary citizenship from Paris, Nantes, Lyon, Metz, Thionville, Esch etc. Taslima was awarded the Condorcet-Aron Prize at the “Parliament of the French Community of Belgium” in Brussels and Ananda literary award again in 2000.

Bestowed with honorary doctorates from Gent University and UCL in Belgium, and American University of Paris and Paris Diderot University in France, she has addressed gatherings in major venues of the world like the European Parliament, National Assembly of France, Universities of Sorbonne, Oxford, Harvard, Yale, etc. She got fellowships as a research scholar at Harvard and New York Universities. She was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow in the USA in 2009.

Taslima has written 40 books in Bengali, which includes poetry, essays, novels and autobiography series. Her works have been translated in thirty different languages. Some of her books are banned in Bangladesh. Because of her thoughts and ideas she has been banned, blacklisted and banished from Bengal, both from Bangladesh and West Bengal part of India. She has been prevented by the authorities from returning to her country since 1994, and to West Bengal since 2007.

‘The Science of Love’ » « Maldives! You too?

My salute to Stéphane Hessel !

Stéphane Hessel was a writer, diplomat, ambassador, concentration camp survivor, French Resistance fighter, BCRA agent. But I respected him, because he was one of the writers of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.

We shared the same stage several times. He was in his 90’s, but every time he saw me he not only recognized me, he recollected almost every big things that happened in my life. I was so lucky to get his sympathy, support and solidarity.

We last spoke over the phone in October, last year. He told me he was a bit weak because of a recent heart attack, but sure he would soon get his strength back and continue to fight for human rights. He said, ‘it is our fight, Taslima.’ I was worried about his health. He was never worried about it, he was rather worried about inequalities and injustices, he was worried about violation of human rights around the world.

Stéphane Hessel, one of the greatest humanists of our times died yesterday. Let’s read again The Universal Declaration of Human Rights that he co-authored.

Stéphane Hessel changed the world.
My salute to Him!

‘The Science of Love’ » « Maldives! You too?

Comments

theignored says

February 28, 2013 at 7:35 am

I could have wished that I knew that guy…I don’t really know what else to say, really.

Reply
Reena Lahiri says

February 28, 2013 at 9:39 am

Our heartfelt sympathy for his near& dear
ones!May his soul achieve it’s unfulfilled
destination-Human Rights in its real sense
May his RIP!

Reply
Yajna says

February 28, 2013 at 11:59 am

He joined Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle’s group of Resistance fighters in 1941. He was associated with Roosevelt as well while editing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

He was tough, he knew exactly what the world needs in order to let the humanity prevail.

Now it is our turn to continue the fight keeping his thoughts in mind.

No one can ‘rest in peace’ or ‘be with us’ after he/she passes away as there is no proved existence of afterlife.

But the thoughts, the concepts, the power stays back with us to drive us from within.

Reply
Perry Bulwer says

February 28, 2013 at 11:42 pm

Here’s an english translation of Stéphane Hessel’s tract INDIGNEZ-VOUS! GET ANGRY! CRY OUT

http://indignez-vous-indignacion.blogspot.ca/p/english.html

Reply
thrissurp.v.rajan says

March 1, 2013 at 10:23 am

I did’nt read his books. but now I want to know more about him..

Reply
maddog1129 says

March 5, 2013 at 2:21 am

Thank you for this remembrance.

Reply