Taslima Nasrin

1. Religion, society and state­ from none of these do women get their proper honour. It is religion which has created an unparalleled disparity between men and women. [Taslima Nasrin]

2. Religion is now the first obstacle to women's advancement. Religion pulls human beings backwards, it goes against science and progressiveness. Religion engulfs people with a fear of the supernatural. It bars people from laughing and never allows people to exercise their choice. [Taslima Nasrin (from her newspaper column, reported in Free Inquiry, Fall, 1994, Vol 14, No. 4, p9)]

3. I don't find any difference between Islam and Islamic fundamentalists. I believe religion is the root, and from the root fundamentalism grows as a poisonous stem. If we remove fundamentalism and keep religion, then one day or another fundamentalism will grow again. I need to say that because some liberals always defend Islam and blame fundamentalists for creating problems. But Islam itself oppresses women. Islam itself doesn't permit democracy and it violates human rights. [Taslima Nasrin (in an interview in Free Inquiry magazine, winter 1998/1999, Vol. 19 No. 1)]

4. I don't agree with those who think that the conflict is simply between two religions, namely Christianity and Islam. . . To me, the key conflict is between irrational blind faith and rational, logical minds. [Taslima Nasrin (in an interview in Free Inquiry magazine, winter 1998/1999, Vol. 19 No. 1)]

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