Sir Salman Rushdie
I haven’t read any of Salman Rushdie’s books. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. He should, though, be able to write what he wants free from intimidation. A lot of people are condemning the reactions to his knighthood - that is well and good. I hope that someone in Pakistan is writing that the reactions are misguided, wrong and damaging to perceptions of Islam.
One slight note of caution. By being offered and accepting a knighthood, Rushdie does become part of the establishment. This is neither good nor bad, and is often a sign of the mature period of a writer’s career. While it does not signify any form of approval of the content of his works, it does perhaps echo the general unease that some feel around Muslim-’Western’ relations.
I’m sure that the FCO and Cabinet Office would have considered the impact that this knighthood would have. My concern is that his gradual reappearance into public life has made people here fail to appreciate that it is entirely possible that the last time Rushdie’s name was heard to some was in connection with the Satanic Verses, with ignorant fervour whipped up by self-promoting clerics.
Interesting things on this have been written by Matt Sinclair, Tiberius Gracchus, Vino and Iain Dale.
I think one thing could help both this and the aftermath of the Danish cartoons would be for a senior Muslim in the UK - Iqbal Sacranie? - to say that it is acceptable and perhaps necessary to criticise Islam.
xD.
June 20th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Sacranie? Fat Chance.
He was the one who said death would be too good for Salman Rushdie during the initial protests. His having a knighthood is a disgrace.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Raises all sorts of interestin questions.
Is it a disgrace because what he said was offensive? Some would say that what Rushdie said was offensive. Sacranie has done ‘good works’ - does the offence caused overshadow these? Does the same apply for Rushdie?
June 20th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
The difference is pretty bloody obvious. Salman Rushdie didn’t organise protests of people calling for another British citizen’s unlawful death. He didn’t tacitly call for someone’s death himself. He didn’t incite murder.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:28 am
Yes, indeed. However, there have been other people who have called for the execution (through lawful processes, in fairness) of some criminals.
xD.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:49 am
I should add that this is a problem of perception.
Beyond that, Sacranie and the Pakistani religious affairs minister think they’re as right as we think we are right. Merely berating them achieves nothing.
June 21st, 2007 at 3:17 pm
What I can’t quite understand is why he accepted the honor in the first place. It must be some weird post-colonial love/hate thing he has for the British establishment.
Btw, do you think John Lennon would have followed Paul McCartney in accepting this title? I would like to think not. Surely not everyone can be bought.
June 21st, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Er… John Lennon did accept an MBE. He returned the medal in 1968.
xD.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:08 am
Good one, of course the very peaceful ‘Muslims’ are justified for destroying the whole world over this. What? The Queen can’t knight someone she likes? She can’t knight someone that other people don’t like?
But I’m sure Sir Rushdie has mixed emotions on this; the Queen has put him in much greater danger. Maybe he’ll wish he had turned it down.
At least this incident will lose the terrorists at least a few more of their dhimmidiot appeasers.
Islam in it’s extreme is more political ideology than religion. In that way, it is only a ‘Religion of Peace’ in that when Islam rules the planet, there will be no one to be at war with. Where they are given an inch, they demand a mile. Islamic countries are becoming more extreme, extremists rule, they just keep quoting the Koran to justify their Jihad.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
appease religious killers
continue to spoil them
violent tantrums pay off
.
June 22nd, 2007 at 8:07 am
Uspace, that’s exactly the same reply as you put on my other post on Salman Rushdie, so I’m going to give you exactly the same answer:
I’m not sure what you mean.
“Islam in it’s extreme is more political ideology than religion”
Many religions have a political element in that they inform how their adherents act politically. Saying that only Islam has this attribute is just wrong - look at Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Hinduism in India, Christianity in the US and so on. You could equally argue that some political ideologies become religions - any form of communism that relies on or creates a cult of an invidivual or, equally, Nazism.
“It is only a ‘Religion of Peace’ in that when Islam rules the planet, there will be no one to be at war with”
Rubbish. You could make similar, groundless charges against any religion and you could say that Islam engages in an amount of realpolitik in setting down codes of conduct for war. Equally, the sometimes-bloody conflicts within Islam give the lie to what you say. There are also Muslim countries that are broadly at peace - Turkey, for instance.
“Islamic countries are becoming more extreme, extremists rule, they just keep quoting the Koran to justify their Jihad.”
Would you care to justify that? You have made an assertion, not an argument. Politicians quote the Bible to justify their beliefs, and I’m sure the same applies to other religions.
I think throughout you are mistaking Islam to be a single entity. Far beyond the division between Sunni and Shia, there are shades of adherence to Islam. I know quite a few Muslims who could be described as ‘culturally Muslim’ - that is to say, some life events take place within the context of Islam - births, deaths, marriages - and that Islam informs some of their attitudes, but to the same extent that a lot of people in the UK could be described as culturally Christian but not believing or practising.
One last thing:
“absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
always believe in books
of course if it is in print
then you know it must be true”
Does that not apply to what you’ve written?
Thanks for posting - would like to hear your responses!
xD.