How odd, it seems there has been lots of reaction to Salman Rushdie getting a knighthood. Reaction that is from the likes of Pakistan suggesting it is some sort of diplomatic incident which justifies suicide bombings. I must be honest, I am somewhat with Iain on his books, I tried to read the Satanic Verses once and failed dismally.
This said, the idea that he should not be given some sort of recognition for his work, which clearly has been successful, simply because some other country doesn't like what he wrote is absurd. What's more the idea that giving him an honour is justification to blow up innocent civilians is, to say the least, well... well it's mental.
Danny Finkelstein has also posted about this over at Comment Central and is using the Downing Street petition system to ensure that Rushdie still gets the award.
17 comments:
Ah, yes, the religion of peace!
Odd that the Pakistani Parliament feels it can dictate events in British civil society - although not so strange, given that Tony Blair has given them every reason to think they had the whip hand when it comes to British behaviour in our own country.
If there is one more terrorist outrage in Britain, it should result in a cold lockdown of all mosques in the country. Three months. Maybe permanently for some of the more radical ones. But cold lockdown. Total.
What is this about a petition -- petition, for what? The only petition I'm interested in is to summon the Pakistani Ambassador to explain what exactly was meant with the declaration of war in form of incitement to suicide bomb, and to demand an official apology, one for the Queen, and one for Sir Rushdie.
Where does this duff writer actually live? Er, USA. Who pays millions to look after him? Er, HMG.
Which is not to say the Pakistan "minister" is not out of order in the extreme. But this was and is an unnecessary provocation which probably after Turkey is the West's best ally in the Muslim world.
The case for the award isn't great now is it?
Cinnamon is correct. The British Government, even under the supine, deeply stupid Tony, should call in the Pakistani ambassador to explain this extra-territorial rubbish emanating from Islamabad.
And explain to him that they are welcome to be followers of a desert warrior cult in their own environment, but not in ours. Allah was the L Ron Hubbard of his day. Don't let Tom Cruise hear about islam! He may love it!
There should also be an immediate cessation of "permission to stay" and other circumlocutions meaning these foreigners are being permitted into our country, mainly to marry their first cousins and beget infants with birth defects. On the NHS.
Cinnamon, your heart is in the right place, but it is Sir Salman, not Sir Rushdie!!
A friend's ex had a summer job in a bookshop, and had the pleasure of dealing with a punter who asked, "'ave you got that 'Sardonic Virgins'". Yes, really.
A daft decision to give him this hnour. The government knows it si a red rag to a bull and I don't even see how he has deserved it or earnt it.
Chris Paul, so heartbreakingly wrong all the time! You poor soul! I hope you have someone who loves you ... Or even just microwaves in the same oven.
Rushdie hasn't had any special protection for a few years now. Not, per your post, ... "errr HMG".
Don't know where he lives. Don't care. He's a nosebleed. But he can bloody write what he wants to write without the allah police threatening to murder him in my country. And last time I looked, the Honours List was not overseen by the allah police.
So I think sending the Pakistani ambassador home with his tail between his legs - like a bad dog, so to speak! - might be a fine move.
PS - Chris Paul, poor old thing. Turkey is a secular country, unlike Pakistan. It is not an islamic republic.
Jordan's a pretty good friend of Britain. So is Malaysia.
I think the guy's worth his knighthood for this fuss it's kicked up. Services to entertainment!
Chris Paul, it doesn't matter where he lives or who pays for his security.
It isn't a personal thing, but Sir Salman is being threatened in place of all of us, and that includes you, no matter what political animal you are.
Our culture of freedom is not negotiable and this idea that Sir Salman brought it on himself by writing the wrong kind of story is as ridiculous as claiming that a short skirt is an invitation to rape.
I also have another bone to pick with you: Honoring one of the great British writers who stands up for our culture in the face of fatwahs is a provocation and maybe we DO deserve the death threats to the entire nation, yes? Maybe we should in future pass a list round to ensure that everyone on this planet is not offended in anyway at our choices for honours in the future? Or, why not replace the honours ceremony with a fatwah fest and require the Queen to wear a burka, whilst we're at it.. ;-P
Verity, thanks for the correction :)
"Who pays millions to look after him? Er, HMG."
Perhaps you need to reacquaint your self with the reason that he needs 'looking after' as you so dismissively put it.
It isn't because he fears too-harsh literary critics, is it...?
If more people had spoken out in outrage at the time of the fawa, and pointed out just how unacceptable it was, we may not have had some of the problems we have now.
"The government knows it si a red rag to a bull"
===============
In other words, we mustn't upset the Muslims? I bet, if Richard Dawkins was knighted, and a tonne of Christians reacted angrily calling for suicide bombings you wouldn't be saying that though.
BTW, I'm not a Christian before you ask, I just find this selective use of kid gloves around anything that might remotely upset Muslims to be absolutely bizarre irrational and contradictory logic.
Shock ! Horror! < It makes one gasp and stretch ones eyes ! > Salmon Rushdie a Knight of the Realm! Why? An Old Boy of a leading English Public School, the author of an inflammatory work read by the Islington set, but which resulted in murders and arson? Philanthropy? Courage? Didn't he run to hide behind the skirts of policewomen before re-locating in the USA? I am puzzled. There are many Conspiracy Theories . . . is this one such?
So? What is the Hidden Agenda behind this blatant act of provocation, not only to Islam, but to every peace-loving Briton?
Is this an example of the CIA twisting the nose of a shoddy stooge of a Prime Minister and designed to create non-attributable ( to the USA) agitation and civil unrest? The blame being laid at the feet of Great Britain?
Otherwise, WHY?
These include Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, the first Muslim peer;
Who, judging by his performance on Newsnight, can only have been elevated because of his, err, "background"
Ha Ha - we could put Musharraf in a really tight spot by ordering him to slap down his religious affairs minister.
Ben Bow - What an interesting post! How does one "stretch one's eyes"? It sounds like a good trick and I'd like to learn how to do it. (I suspect it's a phrase of foreign origin?)
I don't know if you're British, but actually, provocative writers - many of them with public school backgrounds - do have a habit of getting knighthoods.
You say "there are many Conspiracy Theories". Apart from the mystery of why you would think conspiracy theories should be capitalised, could you name us one, please?
You write: "What is the Hidden Agenda behind this blatant act of provocation, not only to Islam, but to every peace-loving Briton?"
Hidden agenda? (Again with the capitals.) An act of provocation "to every peace-loving Briton"? Do you think the British, including peace-loving ones, give a crap about the Honours List? Most people will not have read any of Salman Rushdie's books, but will assume that he merits the honour. No one cares what the islamics think any more than one cares what a child having a temper tantrum thinks.
Oh, the Honours List is a CIA plot, is it? Isn't everything? The weather forecast promised thunderstorms last night and there weren't any. I immediately sensed a CIA plot. I am writing a book about it.
Iqbal Sacranie certainly dropped off the map, didn't he, after he got the shove from the islamo-fascist Muslim Council? Haven't heard much from the new(ish) secretary-general, or whatever they call these people. Can't remember his name, but he's got a degree from Bangladesh and wears a joke wig.
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