Taslima Nasreen is a brave woman.its sad she has bowed down to Islamic terrorists. I dont blame her most people could not take what she has been thru but the Muslim extremists hate her already and will keep hating her and she might still end up dead!

Daniel, Nouakchott, Mauritania

The Islamists have disrupted Calcutta's roads, blocked school buses and ambulances, and forced India to negotiate with Taslima and the Islamic forces a 'deal' where she 'deletes' several passages from her text in return for relative safety. It is a defeat for the principles of freedom and secularism enshrined in India's constitution. It shows again the power of Islamic bullying and murder in suppressing free speech. I hope the Times will be able to publish a full translation of Nasreen's 'deleted' passages as a direct affront to the Islamists who have used force once again to wipe information that is critical of Islam off the face of the Earth.

Shambhu, Brighton, United Kingdom

One rally has to ask how long this nonsense can go on for before there's a bloody war. We can't go on having people who entertain one belief system dictating to others what they can and cannot write - whatever you might think of the belief system (and I do not think much of it, but I'm trying to hold in my anger). What Muslims allow in Muslim theocracies is one thing, regrettable though their actions are. But it's so prevalent here in the West now, with no one daring to publish a picture or a critical word without the risk of violent reprisals and bellowing in the streets at best, and, at worst, death threats and death itself. But what do we do about it? Any ideas from other regular <i>Times</i> commenters?

Andy Armitage, West Wales, United Kingdom

It is dreadful that Taslima Nasreen has been forced by threats from those who distort religion to censor her own work. I hope that the original text survives. I will now look for an unexpurgated copy of her book and buy it.

Dectora, London, UK

Free speech is fast becoming closed speech when Islam is concerned. We can only hope for an Islamic quasi-renaissance that springs up from within Islam itself. The backlash against this extreme and bigoted perversion of Islam that seems to be in vogue at the moment will come, but will it be in 10 years, 50 years or 100 years? The change certainly can't come from the West that's for sure.

Richard Holloway, London, Greater London

For all their tall talk, the UPA coalition has shown its true colors. They are a set of hypocrites and cowards.

The CPI(M) can cry hoarse from rooftops about secularism and how it is being hijacked by "communal" forces, but their words will ring hollow if the state government is found complicit in ousting a writer (and a woman) from her home in Calcutta, under pressure from some small-time thugs.

Taslima should be given Indian citizenship. RJD's Lalu Prasad says Taslima should not indulge in 'blasphemy'. Where is the 'blasphemy' here, I ask? Does our wonderfully secular Lalu not recognize Islamic fundamentalist forces at work here? Or is secularism a term to be applied selectively?

Taslima's writings call attention to what she regards as serious flaws and injustices in a major world religion. Her works should encourage dialogue and discourse, not knee-jerk fascism. If instead of debate, the state is held hostage by the destructive whims of a few, it bodes ill for our polity indeed.

Lalit Ganapathy, Chicago, USA

Once again liberal secularism in retreat in the face of threats of violence.I wonder how long freedom of expression will last even in Europe given the 'sensitivities' of certain groups. I think we can easily envisage new laws, if Labour stay in power, requiring authors and journalists to 'show due deference to religious sensitivities' before putting pen to paper.Perhaps Mr Straw as Justice Minister has a draft already prepared and approved by his friend Mr T. Philips who was so very keen to supress freedom of speech at the Oxford Union recently.

david, Uzes, France

So, all the Muslim clerics have to do to get their ways, is to issue death threats and a price on someone's head ? Are we in the 21st century, or are we still stuck back in the stoneage?

Wyndi, Duluth, USA

This, what's happening in Sudan and everywhere else (it never stops!), what happened to Rushdie etc were used as Monty Python material, it could be very funny indeed.

Imagine the satirical possibilities, built on the absurdity of what we see in these people.

Unfortunately, though it is at one level comic, these people really do hate and murder people.

Joe, Manchester,

So nothing new in the world of Islam then....it's all peace and praying

jp, london, uk

yes because clearly threatening, violence and death is the way to shut up someone who disagrees with you....it doesn't work - it will only give rise to more and more people voicing their opinions and thoughts. If it is such an offence to God - i am sure God is more than powerful to eliminate this woman, who are these people to say whether someone should live or die regardless of whatever crimes they are percieved to have committed. It seems to me that this sentencing of death is undermining God.

nikki, london, uk