Italian writers and poets in defence of Taslima Nasreen

An Open Letter from Italy to Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian National Congress and chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, in defence  of Taslima Nasreen, writer, poetess and humanist

Dear Ms Sonia Gandhi,

You, whose roots are in the country where we live, have long been one of the most important and influential politicians in India – a big, complex, vigorous secular nation.

This is the reason why we – Italian writers, intellectuals, poets and artists – write to you, asking that you intervene to help a great writer, known all over the world and long persecuted for no other fault than loving freedom and fighting for the rights and dignity of women: Taslima Nasreen.

As you certainly know, Taslima’s native language is Bengali and her country is Bangladesh, but she is prevented from returning there, due to threats and pressures from fanatic Islamist groups that have placed two fatwahs upon her and put several bounties on her head, to punish her pride and counter her battle for freedom and equality of all human beings. In spite of this, Taslima Nasreen still travels around the world and speaks on the greatness and richness of her language, her land, her culture, without fear of expressing her opinions, without fear of criticizing what any civilised society would reject: the slavery of women, the harassment against their intelligence, their sensitivity and their bodies, the abusive policies of an authoritarian, theocratic regime.

From 2004 until recently, Taslima Nasreen lived in exile in India, a country that she considered her adopted home, but since the day of her arrival she became the target of threats, assaults and defamatory press campaigns organized by Islamist groups. Such attacks eventually had a result: Taslima was expelled also from India. Since then she has not been allowed to go back to her home in Kolkata, where she left all her possessions, her books, everything that belongs to her both physically and emotionally.

Our work is very similar to that of Taslima, and we can only imagine what a terrible wound, what irreparable damage a forced exile can cause in the life of a writer: being pushed far from your language, being violently separated from the roots you feel you belong to.

Taslima does not want to live in the West, she wants to return to what she feels is her world, in the Indian subcontinent. If she were allowed to return to India, she could do much more in the fight for defending the dignity of women and the extension of democracy and human rights, all ideals that we know you share.

We find the current situation outrageous and shameful. We really hope that you, Ms. Gandhi,  intervene to ensure that such an important writer and poet, who for years has put her life on the line to defend freedom and democracy, is finally allowed to return to her home, among her people, surrounded by the sound of her language, in the only place where, as is her right, she wants to live.

You, Ms. Gandhi, are a key leader of a democratic country and we all, Italian artists, intellectuals and writers, expect you to do something to defend Taslima’s right, despite all the pressures by bullying fanatics, enemies of freedom and coexistence. 

While thanking you for your attention, we send you our
Best regards,

Lello Voce, Wu Ming, Valerio Evangelisti, Tiziano Scarpa, Nanni Balestrini, Ermanno Cavazzoni, Dima Saad, Bianca Madeccia, Paolo Repetti, Franco “Bifo” Berardi, Gianni Biondillo, Beppe Sebaste, Giorgio Vasta, Gabriele Frasca, Laura Pugno, Stefano Tassinari, Maria Rosa Cutrufelli, Kai Zen, Antonio Moresco, Sergio Baratto, Franco Buffoni, Luigi Nacci, Guido Barbujani, Simone Regazzoni, Jaime Alonge, Giovanna Cosenza, Marco Paladini, Tiziana Colusso, Chiara Daino, William Pispisa, Monica Mazzitelli, Sergio Paoli, Nino G. D’Attis, Rossella Macchia, Giacomo Verde, Rosaria Lo Russo, Claudio Calia, Alberto Garlini, Maria Valente, Alberto Masala, Vanni Santoni, Simone Sarasso, Guido Chiesa, Marco Baliani, Raul Montanari, Eva & Franco Mattes, Tommaso Ottonieri, Vasco Brondi, Alessandro Bertante, Franco Loi…

…and about 1,100 more people who have left their signature and their messages here:
http://temi.repubblica.it/micromega-online/appello-a-sonia-gandhi-in-difesa-della-scrittrice-taslima-nasreem-minacciata-dai-fondamentalisti/

This open letter was promoted by the national monthly magazine Micromega , associated with daily newspaper La Repubblica:
http://temi.repubblica.it/micromega-online/
News of this open letter were published in the Italian daily papers Corriere della Sera, L’Unità, Avvenire and Il Fatto Quotidiano