Taslima Nasrin quotes

Taslima Nasrin is a Bangladeshi-Swedish author, physician, and human rights activist, renowned for her powerful writings on women's oppression and secularism. Her outspoken criticism of religious fundamentalism and advocacy for freedom of expression have sparked widespread controversy and debate. She has faced threats, exile, and censorship but continues to be a prominent voice for justice and equality. Here are 35 of her quotes:

[Women in Islamic countries] are exposed to male domination as a rule rather than as an exception... If anyone protests... as I have done, you are sure to be branded as a witch... What I demand is freedom for women from male domination and a uniform code... It that can be construed as blasphemy, I cannot help it.

Taslima Nasrin

I was born in a middle class Muslim family, in a small town called Myonenningh in a northern part of Bangladesh in 1962. My father is a qualified physician; my mother is a housewife. I have two elder brothers and one younger sister. All of them received a liberal education in schools and colleges.

Taslima Nasrin

In traditional societies, we have a long legacy of men controlling the body and mind of women. Such societies have valorised motherhood and fabricated concepts like chastity. Women have been the victims of these notions for thousands of years.

Taslima Nasrin

I want to live in Kolkata; I don't want to live in Europe - I can't write there. I write in Bengali, and I need to be surrounded by the Bengali language and culture.

Taslima Nasrin

All I ever want is to return to either Bangladesh, my motherland, or India, my adopted home.

Taslima Nasrin

The fundamentalists are increasing. People, afraid to oppose those fundamentalists, shut their mouths. It is really very difficult to make people move against a sensitive issue like religion, which is the source of fundamentalism.

Taslima Nasrin

I was born in a Muslim family and Muslim women suffer under Islam.

Taslima Nasrin

The Islam religion and their scriptures are out of place and out of time. It still follows the 7th century laws and is hopeless. The need of the hour is not reformation but revolution.

Taslima Nasrin

Lajja is a humanist appeal so that unpleasant things don't happen any more. So that people can manage to coexist in mutual respect and to help religion truly embrace humanity.

Taslima Nasrin

Every ban and censorship hurt. But banishment hurts the most. Banishment took away the ground from beneath my feet. What I need now most is a firm footing to stand up somewhere to fight for the freedom of expression. I was banished from both East and West Bengal.

Taslima Nasrin

We have praised Taslima for speaking for Muslim women who do not have many spokesmen in the Muslim world. But her real glory is that she has also spoken for the persecuted Hindus in her country - for whom no one speaks, not even the Hindus.

Taslima Nasrin

I believe in absolute freedom of expression. Everyone has a right to offend and be offended.

Taslima Nasrin

Sheikh Hasina's government is one of the best Bangladesh has ever had. She is taking action against fundamentalists. But even she refused to let me return. I don't think I can ever return home.

Taslima Nasrin

Nature says women are human beings, men have made religions to deny it. Nature says women are human beings, men cry out no!

Taslima Nasrin

When Bangladesh refused to renew my passport, I used U.N. travel documents. You can't disown your country.

Taslima Nasrin

I write against the religion because if women want to live like human beings, they will have to live outside the religion and Islamic law.

Taslima Nasrin

Those religions that are oppressive to women are also against democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression.

Taslima Nasrin

It is unfair to label me anti-Islam. I am an atheist and a secular humanist.

Taslima Nasrin

I am not scared of anyone. I will write and publish my books.

Taslima Nasrin

Koranic teaching still insists that the sun moves around the earth. How can we advance when they teach things like that?

Taslima Nasrin

I studied in a medical college and qualified myself as a medical graduate.

Taslima Nasrin

I have been writing poetry since 1975. My first poetry book was published in 1986.

Taslima Nasrin