Taslima Nasreen: Bengali Writer with a Fatwa on her Head

Taslima Nasreen is a woman writer who I admire. She hails from Bangladesh, but presently she has fled Bangladesh and is in exile in Delhi. Earlier for some she was given asylum in Norway. The reason Taslima had to run away from Bangladesh was primary to escape death at the hands of Islamic fanatics who had issued a Fatwa for her death. Taslima though a Muslim, in an interview broadcast over BBC had opined that the holy books of Islam like the Koran need to be revised as they were anti-women. This interview brought the ire of hardline Muslims on her and a fatwa was issued that she be killed.

Taslima is also a writer of some standing. She writes in Bengali, but a few of her books have been translated into English. Her most famous novel is “Lajja” (Shame) which delineates a story about the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh at the hands of Muslims. Her latest novel ‘French Lover’ is published She is now catapulted in the big league of writers and her books sell like hot cakes.

Taslima was born in 1962 and her early life was non-descript. She came into limelight after a publication of ‘Lajja‘ and her anti-Islamic views. It’s a pity that Bangladesh does not recognize the greatness of Taslima. Her views on Islam should not come in the way of appreciation of her books.

Visiting the " garden of Lights" in Dubai * 60

Dubai always conjures up something new for its visitors. The latest is the Garden of lights, a garden that is lit up by bulbs and creates an enchanting place, replete with Dinosaurs, Animals, and Fairytales. The medium for all these depictions is colored lights. It's a tremendous achievement and I suppose the first such garden in the world.

The garden is open from 4-11 pm and is simply an enchanting place. The artists have created a magical sultans palace, animal world with tigers and lions and a special prehistoric age with dinosaurs. It's all great fun. In addition, there are lovely ballet dances and some of the girls wear shorts, showing lovely legs. No sign of any prudery or religious rhetoric here.

Among the popular exhibits are animals all around a water hole, a replica of the grand mosque, and the palace of he sultan. A series of graphics in the ant world is another delight. The entrance is AED 60 and that is a little steep. However at the end of the day, one feels its money well spent. There are many stalls selling foods to eat and drink, but no beer and hard drinks. In a way, this is a good thing as lots of children visit this  garden

Abu Dhabi has greened the Desert * 69

Desert and Green in Abu Dhabi

The deserts of Saudi Arabia abuts the  Arabian Sea and on the edge of the Arabian desert is Abu Dhabi.  Abu Dhabi at one time was a desert but the enlightened ruler imported soil from Pakistan and India as well as trees en masse and let them flower in the Arabian desert. The result is there for all to see as greenery abounds in many places and one of them is the Al Alain zoo. Al Alain is known as the green city of Abu Dhabi and its a delight to go there. I go often to Al Alain and never forget to spend time in the zoo.

 The zoo has greenery and one must give credit to the legion of Indian workers 

Donald Trump and Hillary; Choice between Bad and Worse * 77

The US election is campaign is on and it is now emerging that there may be two contenders. Firstly the front runner for Democratic nomination is Hillary Clinton. She has the edge on Bernie Sanders. The second man is Donald Trump who is the leader for GOP nomination.

Both candidates, Donald and Hillary have been mouthing cliches and hardly inspire confidence. Both are part of the historical process that is signaling the end off the US empire. Hillary is a shade below Trump and apart from a lot of make-up has really nothing much to offer.   Trump is mouthing irresponsible statements, particularly on nuclear matters. 

Its a pity the American voter has no choice and they can be classified as bad and worse. Hard luck America!