Nicolas Sarkozy has invited Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin to receive the prestigious Simone de Beauvoir award in Paris. The invitation comes amid reports that Indian authorities have turned down France’s proposal to honor the writer during a visit by Sarkozy to New Delhi, citing security threats. Nasrin, who fled to India from the Muslim-majority Bangladesh, has received death threats from Islamic extremists over her 1994 novel “Lajja” or “Shame,” which depicts the life of a Hindu family persecuted by Muslims in Bangladesh. Feminist groups in France are encouraging her visit to Paris in order to receive the award.
