From: Cgastbook@aol.comTo: aanews@listserv.atheists.org Subject: [Atheist] re: AANEWS for November 23, 1998 Date: Monday, November 23, 1998 10:51 AM from: AMERICAN ATHEISTS subject: AANEWS for November 23, 1998 A M E R I C A N A T H E I S T S ~~ A A N E W S ~~ #506~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~11/23/98 http://www.atheists.org ftp.atheists.org/pub/ http://www.americanatheist.org ---------------------------------------------------------- A Service of AMERICAN ATHEISTS "For Reason and the First Amendment" ----------------------------------------------------------- In This Issue... * Nasrin granted bail, but remains target of Islamic bullies * Archdiocese tried to prevent "60 Minutes" program on Kevorkian * Winter Solstice gifts from American Atheists * Resources * About this list... NASRIN GRANTED BAIL IN DHAKA COURT: ISLAMIC GROUP STILL DEMANDS HER EXECUTION FOR BLASPHEMY Embattled atheist-feminist writer Taslima Nasrin made a surprise appearance in court yesterday, and was granted bail in a civil suit charging her with insulting religious beliefs of Muslims in her native country of Bangladesh. With her face partially covered by a scarf, Nasrin arrived at the Dhaka justice court flanked by relatives and two unidentified men thought to be security personnel. It was her first public appearance since returning to Bangladesh on September 27 in order to care for her terminally ill mother. Nasrin fled the country in August, 1994 following death threats by Islamic fanatics. A civil suit filed against her by a Muslim, Zainal Abedin Babul, accused her of insulting the Islamic religion in the pages of one of her book, Selected Columns. In that and other writings, Nasrin has spoken out on behalf of equal rights for women, and the replacement of Islamic law by an enlightened secular code. Islamists, though, have called for her immediate rest and execution, and used her case to press their campaign for a national law against blasphemy. After fleeing Bangladesh, Nasrin was granted asylum in Sweden. She traveled throughout the Continent and to the United States; often compared to writer Salman Rushdie, also the target of Islamic death threats, she has become a symbol of secularism and equal rights for women. The hearing lasted 25 minutes, and Nasrin was represented by her attorney, Dr. Kamal Hossain. The bail motion was granted by Judge Kazi Ebadul Huq, although it is significant that the government's Deputy Attorney General, K.M.Faruk, opposed leniency for Nasrin. Judge Huq and fellow Justice Awlad Ali also ordered the government to show why Nasrin should not be granted permanent bail after four weeks, and ordered the state attorney to present all documents pertinent to her case. According to press reports from Reuters and the Bangladesh Daily Star newspaper, Nasrin appeared "nervous" during the hearing. After bail was granted, she and her entourage quickly headed along the long corridor on the first floor of the court building; her security team scuffled briefly with a news photographer and reporter, attempting to shield Nasrin from the camera. A waiting car then whisked her away to an undisclosed location. In an interview with the BBC later, Nasrin made another appeal for the government to protect her from Islamic militants who have called for her arrest and summary execution. Following yesterday's court action, a spokesman for the leading Muslim extremist group, Islami Oikya Jote, said his organization remained resolute. "It won't ease our stance," declared A.R.M. Abdul Matin, joint general secretary of IOJ. "We still demand her death ... that will warn all murtads (infidels) that they cannot escape the gallows." Martin told a correspondent with Reuters that IOJ and its allies would be meeting shortly to decide their next course of action, "It's a matter for the court to give her bail, but it's not the end of everything," said Abdul Martin. According to the Star newspaper, IOJ will be huddling today in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka at the Institution of Engineers. "IOJ sources said that the Jote (IOJ) would press for parliament adopting blasphemy laws so that murtads (infidels) would face capital punishment..." Not A Victory: Government Still Not Helping Before breaking out the champagne, atheists and other human rights activists focused on Ms. Nasrin's plight should pause and remember that this latest bail hearing is little comfort, and still does not resolve the wider questions in her case. Even with bail, the writer still faces a civil trial for "insulting" Islamic believers. There is also the questionable role of the present government in Bangladesh. While the current regime is seen as somewhat more liberal than its predecessor (while was in power when the original charges were filed in 1994), the state's role is far from a positive one. According to the latest BBC reports, correspondent David Chazen says that this government "has shown little interest in pursuing the case against" Nasrin." That claim is inaccurate, however. At yesterday's bail hearing, the government attorney opposed any leniency for Nasrin. And earlier this month, the Dhaka court demanded that Nasrin surrender by January 5. At that time, AANEWS observed, "The court ruling appears to confirm suspicions that the Bangladesh government is either too weak -- or unwilling -- to take a firm stand against the country's Islamic leaders." The government's actions, which border on appeasement of the fundamentalists, also appear to be encouraging (rather than abetting) Islamic militancy. Within hours of the government announcement ordering Nasrin to turn herself in, the Islamic Oikkya Jote (also identified as Jamaat-e-Islami) announced a $2,500 reward -- a large amount of money by Bangladesh standards -- for Nasrin's capture). IOJ also turned up the rhetoric, issuing a statement that "Taslima Nasrin is an infidel and it is the duty of Muslims to find her out and turn (her) over to the police..." Questions and problems remain. Should Nasrin live to see a trial, or choose to remain in Bangladesh, can she receive anything close to a "fair" hearing? If convicted, she faces a fine and up to three years in jail. What then? Islamic groups are also pressing for a nationwide blasphemy law. Bangladesh remains a poor country, and with the "Asian Meltdown" still a real possibility, Muslim fundamentalism is asserting itself again throughout the region as a political and cultural force -- as in Indonesia. Finally, Ms. Nasrin faces the same dilemma as Salman Rushdie; both are targets of Islamic wrath, and the groups stalking them appear unconcerned about any "official" status they may have. Ms. Rushdie lives under the threat of a "fatwa" or religious edict of death pronounced by the late Ayatollah Khomeini, despite declarations by the current Iranian government that it has "forgotten" the death sentence. Ms. Nasrin's case is less clear, although today's BBC News reports that Nasrin "said she would remain in hiding as long as Islamic groups maintain the Fatwa, the religious order calling for her death..." (Thanks to Warren Allen Smith for information used in this story. Mr. Smith maintains a web site which tracks developments in the Nasrin case; visit http://idt.net/~wasm/nasrin.htm.) ** CHURCH TRIED TO STOP "60 MINUTES" BROADCAST OF KEVORKIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE Roman Catholic officials tried vainly yesterday to prevent a CBS "60 Minutes" segment which showed Dr. Jack Kevorkian injecting a man suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease with a lethal mixture of drugs, from airing. Kevorkian, who has attracted national attention for his support of physician assisted suicide, termed the measure a form of "active euthanasia." The euthanasia was carried out on September 17 and videotaped. When CBS announced that it would carry the program, which included comments by Kevorkian as well as critics, advocacy groups and the Roman Catholic Church denounced the move. Local stations in San Antonio, St. Louis, New Orleans, Spokane and Tulsa decided to carry local news while the Kevorkian segment aired, then returned to the rest of the "60-Minutes" show. Kevorkian, who has assisted more than 130 people end their lives, said "This is the ultimate self determination, to decide how and when you're going to die when you're suffering." The patient was identified as Thomas Youk, age 52 of Waterford, Michigan. Toward the end of his illness, Youk was unable to use his limbs and reportedly was terrified of choking to death. He indicated on tape that he wanted to die. Kevorkian's actions met with approval from both Youk's mother and brothers. His wife told reporters, "I was grateful to know someone would relieve him of his suffering," adding "I don't consider it (euthanasia) murder. I consider it humane." A survey by AANEWS indicated that a variety of organizations, including Catholic Church officials and local level representatives from the Family Research Council, spoke out against the program and pressured local media throughout the country to censor the "60 Minutes" report. On Friday, for instance, the Catholic Archdiocese in Detroit -- fresh from a November ballot victory which struck down an assisted suicide measure -- demanded that all CBS stations and the local affiliates not carry the "60 Minutes" segment on Kevorkian. But the strongest stand we know of so far appears to have been made in Philadelphia, where Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua made a "last- minute" appeal to CBS and its local affiliate, KYW-TV, and according to one news station was ready to take legal action if necessary to prevent the broadcast. Bevilacqua, head of one of the largest Catholic Archdiocese in the nation, described the program as "horrendous" and a "low in journalism," even though he had not viewed it and did not intend to watch the tape. According to an NBC local affiliate, though, the Archdiocese was ready to take legal action in court to stop the program, until attorneys informed Bevilacqua that it was unlikely any injunction would be granted due to the First Amendment. The Cardinal joined with spokespersons from the local Urban Family Council in denouncing both Dr. Kevorkian and CBS. "God put Adam to sleep before he took a rib out, which is sort of a divine anesthetic," Bevilacqua told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We should be helping a person live without pain, not eliminating the person." Bishop McHugh of the neighboring Diocese of Camden expressed similar sentiments. "As a Roman Catholic bishop, I'm opposed to assisted suicide and euthanasia. But at least I'm willing to sit down at the table and discuss the ethical question and various ethical approaches to it." McHugh charged, "Kevorkian doesn't do that. He assumes that he's right and everyone else wrong, and he's going to do whatever he wants to do..." So far, however, prosecutors have been unable to convict Dr. Kevorkian of murder charges despite the heated rhetoric that surrounds the issue. Kevorkian declared that one result of the broadcast he was hoping for was to force a "showdown" in the courts over physician assisted euthanasia and suicide. "I want to be prosecuted for euthanasia," Kevorkian told the Oakland Press of Michigan. "I am going to prove that this is not a crime, ever, regardless of what words are written on paper." Oakland County (MI) prosecutor David Gorcyca said that his office would review tapes of the broadcast, and that among the issues to be considered would be whether Youk clearly gave his consent to have Dr. Kevorkian help him to die. Kevorkian has lost his license to practice medicine in Michigan and California; but he has beaten charges related to the deaths of five persons in Michigan on three separate occasions. "I am tired of all the hypocrisy," Kevorkian told the New York Times, "and we're going to end this one way or another." For the Roman Catholic Bishops, the "60 Minutes" program may fuel efforts to move so-called "life issues" such as euthanasia, abortion and even fetal- tissue research to the top of their social action agenda. Meeting last week in Washington, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops stopped short of a proposal made by Archbishop Anthony Maida of Detroit that would have threatened damnation and even excommunication for any Catholic government officials who did not obey the church's teachings on abortion and related issues. ** SOLSTICE IS COMING -- ARE YOU READY ? If you're worried about what to give for the upcoming "Christmas" season, we've got some suggestions. Log on to either American Atheists web site, and visit our special on line Winter Solstice Gift Catalogue. You can give a friend (or anyone else!) a one year gift subscription to American Atheist Magazine for only $16. We'll even include an attractive seasonal card to the recipient acknowledging your thoughtful gift. We also have a selection of books, videos and other materials, including our famous Winter Solstice Greeting Cards with a range of messages. So, what are you waiting for? Visit us at www.americanatheist.org, click on the Winter Solstice Catalogue icon and start shopping! ** RESOURCES FROM AMERICAN ATHEISTS * For information about American Atheists, send mail to info@atheists.org. Please include your name and postal mailing address. * For a free catalogue of American Atheist Press books, videos and other products, send mail to catalogue@atheists.org. Kindly include your postal mailing address. * The American Atheist Magazine is now on the web! Check out select articles from the current and back issues, as well as special web-only features. Visit us at http://www.americanatheist.org. * If you are a member of American Atheists, sign up for our e-mail discussion group, aachat. We have over 100 participants who discuss topics such as Atheism, religion, First Amendment issues and lots more! Contact Margie Wait, the moderator through mdwait@atheists.org. ** ABOUT THIS LIST... AANEWS is a free service from American Atheists, a nationwide movement founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair for the advancement of Atheism, and the total, absolute separation of government and religion. For subscribe/unsubscribe information, send mail to aanews- request@listserv.atheists.org and put "info aanews" (minus the quotation marks, please) in the message body. You may forward, post or quote from this dispatch, provided that appropriate credit is given to AANEWS and American Atheists. Edited by Conrad Goeringer, cg@atheists.org. Internet Representative for American Atheists is Margie Wait, irep@atheists.org.