TASLIMA - HUSSAIN

Arindam: - Hello viewers. Hope you all are doing well. Today, in this episode, we have invited two most controversial characters of the world. Guess, who they can be? Anyway, let me tell you only. Please welcome Maqbool Fida Hussain and Taslima Nasreen. We thank both of you for coming to our show ‘WINE WITH ARINDAM’ of Royal Bengal Tiger (RTB) TV Channel. My first question to Mr. Hussain is that are you happy to be a citizen of Qatar?

Hussain: - It’s a very diplomatic question you are asking. To some extent, it is yes, because they are giving me freedom of expression. And I am unhappy because Mother India rejected me.

Arindam: - Your freedom of expression was so adamant that you started drawing nude pictures of Goddesses. Maybe, that is why, you have been kicked out.

Hussain: - Yeah, I am still apologetic about it. It was really a blunder. I forgot to respect the sentiments of Hindu religion. I should have not done that.

Arindam: - Taslima, what do you mean by freedom of expression? Are you not ashamed after writing the book ‘Lajja’ ?

Taslima: - I have just written the brutal truth about some weird relationships. A section of illiterate people of Islamic religion feel insecure to accept that brutal truth. That’s all. Look at the Muslims of Middle East countries or in Europe. They have accepted my rational views.

Arindam: - Mr. Hussain, do you think that the Indian Muslims are still back-dated and uncultured in respect to the Muslims of Middle East Asia?

Hussain: - It’s a very tough question to answer, because I was once a part of Indian Muslim community only. To some extent, yes, it is indeed true that Muslims of India are still uncultured. You cannot only blame it to the Indian government. The infrastructure of madrasah schools need to be upgraded. Instead of making quota system for Muslims and utilizing them as scapegoats for gaining votes, the Indian government needs to make innovative plans to modernize their education system.

Arindam: - Madrasah needs to be banned because it preaches only terrorism and nothing else. Taslima, do you think that it is a sin for a woman to take birth as a Muslim?

Taslima: - In 90% cases, it is true. You will be surprised to know that for the first time a Co-education Muslim college has been established in a Middle East Asian country. A woman is treated as a substance in the Muslim religion. Muslim men never give an inch of space to a Muslim woman. Muslim men believe in polygamy and whenever these men will suffer from AIDS, they will put the blame on his Muslim wives.

Hussain: - Why you are saying that women are ill-treated only in Muslim religion? In Hindu religion also, women are badly treated. Arindam, in your Hindu religion, if women are worshipped like Goddesses, then why the hell the poor and low-caste Hindu women of Bihar, UP, Haryana, Bengal and Rajasthan are treated as whores?

Arindam: - Caste-system was not there in our Hinduism. If you go through the theories of Rig-Veda, the women were respected and loved by all in ancient India. Kings used to have many devdasis, who were respected a lot. Later, these women were ill-treated and renamed as Baaiji or Rakhail. There was no caste-system in Rig Veda. Only, some names were given to some people as per their daily profession. Later, these names have been used to create caste-system. God is one and only one. He created humans and religions. But the irony is that the humans created hatred and communalism. Taslima, is it written in Quran that a Muslim women should wear a burqah?

Taslima: - Muslim men are so insecure that they want to hide their wives under the burqah. There is no mention of burqah in our holy Quran.

Arindam: - Well, Modern Muslim Women have already banned burqahs. They are the real feminists. Anyway, our time is running out. Thanks to both of you for coming to our show. Viewers, see you all later. Till then, good bye.