Across the world, we are all still reeling from the brutal attack on Salman Rushdie and are hoping that he recovers from it. In light of this, Magar is focusing on blasphemy, books and free speech. Read Taslima Nasreen, no stranger to being banned, on the attack on Salman Rushdie. To understand the banning of the Satanic Verses listen to Love Thy Neighbour, the first in a detailed 10 part series that explores the Fatwa against Rushdie. Bangladesh has an unfortunate recent history of deadly attacks against secular bloggers. In this spirit, read about why we still need atheism.

Does caste play a role in deciding who is prosecuted for blasphemy in Pakistan? What do Germany's laws mean for free speech about Palestine? And is time for India to calm down with the 'offence-taking'? Listen to a history of free speech as you read through the answers to these questions.

The Fatwa against Salman Rushdie emerged from his book Satanic Verses, banned in several countries. In this issue read excerpts, interviews are reviews of books banned through the years. Read the first lesbian novel, an excerpt from a dystopian Brave New World, a historical defence of eating cow meat, teenage stories about coming of age and masturbation and many more.

Hello, and a Happy Independence Day to both India and Pakistan. As we mark this occasion and look back at the road to freedom, we thought we'd spend some time looking at people placed in a condition opposite of freedom: prisons. This week's issue of Magar focuses on prisons, conditions of prisons and alternative ideas of justice in South Asia and the world.

In India the misuse of laws and arbitrary arrests continue to plague citizens who don't toe the government line, in particular, Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims, with many languishing for years without trial. Bhutan, the happiest country in the world has an unhappy, forgotten section of their population, ethnic Nepalis who had lived in Bhutan for generations before being stripped of their citizenship. Many were forced out of Bhutan and into refugee camps, but hundreds are still in jail, no longer welcome in their home. Read a collection of interviews with their family members. We look back at Kashmir when the abrogation of Article 370 occurred, turning the entire state, cut off without internet, and riddled with curfews into a giant prison for months. In some good news, the Sri Lankan family of refugees that had lived a happy life in a small town in Australia before being forced into Australia's Christmas Island detention center have finally been allowed to return to their home, after four long years of being locked up and isolated from their friends and home.

Insein Prison in Myanmar is notorious for its harsh conditions. A young Japanese filmmaker has just been sentenced there for working for the democratic freedom fighters and against the military junta. This article shares a glimpse of smuggled art-sketches that depict life inside. In 2018, photographer Shahidul Alam was arrested in Bangladesh for speaking out about student protests across the country. He spent 107 days in jail. Read his account of his time in jail, including the torture he endured and look at an exhibition of photographs that continue to defy censorship and explore the lives of the people of Bangladesh. Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed wrote some of his most famous work from prison, read this beautiful piece by his daughter as she discovers his letters from jail to her mother. In the last several months, the headlines from Nigeria are regularly discussing prison breaks. Why are terrorist groups breaking prisoners out of jail and what consequence will this have for the country? Listen to this podcast to understand.

What would a world without prisons look like? In Limerick, a new architectural design is being implemented to make women's prisons more approachable, kinder and reflecting an architecture of hope. Israel continues to rain down bombs on Gaza, making it an 'open-prison'. Have you wondered where the idea for ankle monitors came from? The answer may be odder than you think.

An investigative report has unearthed new evidence that shows exactly how the Myanmar military junta planned the purge of Rohingyas from the country. The last few weeks have seen Aviru protest his erasure from the song 'Enjoy Enjaami', this piece from last year explores the song and caste. Music played a role in the making of Bangladesh too, look back at 1971 with this piece. Have you ever eaten mustard and wanted to know more about it? More than Masala is here to tell you all about mustard, where it came from and how to use it.
Another Kashmiri journalist has been denied permission to leave the country to do his job. Another condiment India's grown to love is Ketchup, read the hot and sour story of its marketing. Abortion rights have been in the news for the past few months, and while India has progressive abortion laws, access to them, especially for Dalit women, remain elusive. This satire on power cuts may be the funniest and sweetest thing you read this week.
The UN peacekeeping force has been in Congo since 1999, and people have been protesting their presence ever since. A therapist has assembled a toolkit to help us deal with large scale emotional trauma. Nigeria has long dominated women's football, but players allege that the homophobia of officials and coaches has led to the removal of players. The USA announced the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri in a drone attack, the New York Times podcast summarizes the events and their significance.