Poet Salma is speaking against me for no reason. In truth, these pseudo-intellectuals want to see atheists among Hindus, but not among Muslims. They want Hindus to criticize their religion, but they don’t want Muslims to do the same. That’s why they don’t like me. To free a society from religious fanaticism, freethinkers are necessary. But when I, as a freethinker, speak out for human rights and women’s rights and call for religion to be separated from society and the state, they accuse me of having an agenda.

Yes, I carry an agenda—the dream of a world that is freer, fairer, and more peaceful for all. All religions can be criticized—only when Islam is criticized, the extremists come with knives to cut throats. Is this the system that these politicians want to preserve? No healthy and civilized society can be built without criticism. Muslims who claim to be progressive—if they don’t support the freedom of expression of atheists born into Muslim families, if they can’t accept criticism of Islam—then they are not truly progressive.

~ Taslima Nasreen, Author