August 10, 2007	Friday	Rajab 25, 1428

HYDERABAD (India), Aug 9: Muslim activists on Thursday attacked self-exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen at a book launch here, police and witnesses said. Ms Nasreen was on the stage at the press club in the capital of Andhra Pradesh when about 60 protesters from a regional political party forced their way in.

The Majlis-i-Ittehadul Muslimeen activists, led by three state legislators, broke up the function, police said.

TV footage showed activists hitting Ms Nasreen with a bunch of flowers, throwing a satchel at her and threatening to lob chairs.

Activists also snatched copies of her translated book lying on a table and threw them at her, witnesses said.

A visibly shaken Nasreen was shielded by several organisers and escaped when police arrived and bundled her into a car, witnesses said. They reported slight bruising. One of the men protecting Ms Nasreen sustained injuries, police and witnesses said.

The activists shouted slogans, condemning the writer for allegedly un-Islamic writing, as they overturned chairs and broke flower pots and vases at the venue, witnesses said.

Salauddin Owaisi, president of the Majlis-i-Ittehadul Muslimeen, defended the attack, saying: “All Muslims in Hyderabad will praise our party for this. You cannot write anything just to gain cheap popularity and fame. You need to respect the sentiments of people.”—AFP