By TwoCircles.net
Advocate Irfan Engineer have issued a statement in favour of controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin. The statement issued jointly with Sr. Advocate B. A. Desai and noted secularist Dr. Ram Puniyani calls the recent agitations and demands about revoking visa of Ms. Nasrin as most unfortunate.
Pointing out that Ms. Nasrin’s citizenship application is pending, she can not be denied permission to live in India until a decision is made on her application. Adding that “Universal Brotherhood and Human rights being our civilizational values, we should allow Ms. Nasreen to permanently reside in India in accordance with Indian law,” read the statement issued by three well known secularists based in Mumbai.
Acknowledging that Ms. Nasrin has authored books with text that are derogatory to Islam, statement recalls the famous story of a Jewish woman who use to throw rubbish on Prophet Mohammed. In that story one day she didn’t throw the rubbish and Prophet Mohammed went to inquire about her health.
Stree samman or respect for women is our civilizational value, the three eminent personalities called upon the West Bengal Government to provide peaceful residence to Ms. Nasrin. They also appealed to the Prime Minister of India to take speedy steps to grant overseas citizenship status to Taslima Nasrin so that she can get lifetime Indian visa.
B.A. Desai is Sr. Advocate of Supreme Court of India and former Additional Solicitor General of India, Dr. Ram Puniyani belongs to All India Secular Forum and Irfan Engineer is the Director of Institute of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.