The imam of Tipu Sultan mosque, Nurur Rehman Barkati, denied he had issued any fatwa against the author when he was summoned by the police.
KOLKATA: A day after he offered a reward of Rs 50,000 on a live TV programme for anyone who blackened controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen's face for her comments on Islam, the imam on Monday denied he had issued any fatwa against the author when he was summoned by the police.
The imam of Tipu Sultan mosque, Nurur Rehman Barkati, told reporters after an hour-long meeting with Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee that he had been "misquoted" and had not issued any "fatwa" against Taslima.
"A fatwa cannot be issued verbally, it has to be in a written form and I have not issued any such decree against Taslima Nasreen," Barkati said.
Barkati was summoned by Mukherjee to explain his stand after he had said on the local TV channel's programme -- which also featured Taslima -- that he had issued a fatwa against the writer for her continued comments against Islam and its prophet. His comments evoked a strong reaction from different sections of society here.
Mukherjee said, "The imam told me that he had not issued any fatwa against Nasreen. He said that when the Taslima issue was being discussed among Muslim religious leaders the other day, some person might have raised the demand for blackening her face with the reward.
Police had earlier tightened security for the writer, who has been living here for nearly a year after leaving Bangladesh following threats to her life there.
Taslima, after hearing that there was no fatwa against her, said she was greatly relieved and was thankful to the police for acting promptly.
Taslima said, "I am very happy. I hope such a thing will not happen again in future."
She said the literary circles in West Bengal had stood firmly by her, reinforcing her faith in the democratic and secular fabric of India.
"Writers and poets like Sunil Gangopadhyay and Joy Goswami have gone on record supporting me. This shows that Bengal still retains its secular sanity," she said.
Barkati said, "I fully respect the communal harmony prevailing in West Bengal."
The police commissioner said the imam had informed him that "our sentiments are hurt if Prophet Mohammed's name is taken".
Meanwhile, Sunil Gangopadhyay said he had been demanding that "Talibani fatwas" should not be allowed in a secular state like West Bengal.
"I am happy that everything ended peacefully, but I would like the administration to be more alert in future against such religious decrees in our state," said Gangopadhyay, who had protested the fatwa against Taslima.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}