Ed Brayton is a freelance writer and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
The Queen of England has knighted one of my favorite authors, Salman Rushdie. Frankly, I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, the very existence of the queen of England makes me laugh, and the notion that an author is being knighted by a woman who almost certainly has not read any of his books makes me laugh even harder. On the other hand, I'm happy to see Rushdie get recognized for his brilliance (not to mention it's a good excuse for seeing pictures of him and his stunning wife, Padma Lakshmi, on TV).
But perhaps most of all, I'm delighted to see the Islamic whackos get their panties in a bunch over it as they predictably have. Apparently we're supposed to care that the government of Iran, which issued a death threat that put Rushdie in hiding for a decade, is insulted by the award:
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said granting Britain's highest honor to Rushdie, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" sparked the death threat, insulted the Muslim world. His comments came during a time of especially tense relations between the Islamic republic and the West."Awarding a person who is among the most detested characters in the Islamic society is obvious proof of anti-Islamism by ranking British officials," Hosseini said at his weekly press conference...
"This (award) showed that the movement of insulting Muslims was not accidental but was a planned and organized move that enjoyed support of some Western countries," said Hosseini.
If by "Islamism" you mean the demented ideology that asserts a right to kill anyone who insults their religious views, then yes, the entire civilized world is anti-Islamism. Wake up and smell the 18th century. Iran is not alone, however. The Pakistani parliament is demanding that England withdraw the knighthood:
Pakistani lawmakers passed a government-backed resolution demanding Britain withdraw the knighthood awarded to author Salman Rushie, condemning the honor as an insult to the religious sentiments of Muslims.In the eastern city of Multan, hard-line Muslim students burned effigies of Queen Elizabeth II and Rushdie. About 100 students carrying banners condemning the author also chanted, "Kill Him! Kill Him!"...
The resolution in the lower house of parliament on Monday was proposed by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan Khan Niazi who branded Rushdie a "blasphemer."
"The 'sir' title from Britain for blasphemer Salman Rushdie has hurt the sentiments of the Muslims across the world. Every religion should be respected. I demand the British government immediately withdraw the title as it is creating religious hatred," Niazi told the National Assembly.
Nonsense. If your religion says that you have the right to kill anyone who criticizes your religion - fuck your religion. And Niazi is downright moderate compared to the Pakistani religious affairs minister:
Today, Pakistan's religious affairs minister suggested that the knighthood was so grave an offence that any Muslim anywhere in the world would be justified in taking violent action."If somebody has to attack by strapping bombs to his body to protect the honour of the Prophet then it is justified," Mr ul-Haq told the National Assembly.
The minister, the son of Zia ul-Haq, the military dictator who died in a plane crash in 1988, later retracted his statement in parliament, then told the AFP news agency that he meant to say that knighting Rushdie would foster extremism.
"If someone blows himself up he will consider himself justified. How can we fight terrorism when those who commit blasphemy are rewarded by the West?" he said.
He said Pakistan should sever diplomatic ties with Britain if it did not withdraw the award, adding:"We demand an apology by the British government. Their action has hurt the sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims...
"If Muslims do not unite, the situation will get worse and Salman Rushdie may get a seat in the British parliament."
How can you fight terrorism while others commit blasphemy? Teach people that they have no right to kill merely because someone else offends them. That's called "sanity" and it's kind of important.
Comments
Exactly. Instead of invading Iraq, after deposing the Taliban government of Afghanistan, the US should have established there universal and mandatory public schools, that along with teaching literacy (the current literacy rate in Afghanistan is 28%), arithmetic, and other basics, also taught precisely this kind of sanity.
And we should have made Saudi Arabia fund it.
Posted by: Russell | June 19, 2007 9:42 AM
More laughably, I believe Britain's first Muslim member of the House of Lords actually made some hugely ironic comment about Rushdie having 'blood on his hands'. Now unless he was talking about a paper cut from all that writing...
I may be wrong - I'll look up the exact quote and be back in a moment.
Posted by: Matthew Young | June 19, 2007 9:45 AM
Ah yes: here it is:
Taken from this article by the probably fairly reliable Metro News.
Further elaborated on by ABC Australia here with the following, more complete, quote:
In the paraphrased words of Bill Hicks: 'If this bothers you I recommend taking a long, hard look at the world in which we live and...
...shutting your fucking mouth.'
Posted by: Matthew Young | June 19, 2007 9:56 AM
The award to Salman Rushdie is to be applauded for its deliberate indifference to the inevitable response. I was pleasantly suprised at the news, given our current government's usual kowtowing attitude to Islamic intolerance.
Posted by: Tycho the Dog | June 19, 2007 10:04 AM
Bit of a racist title to the article don't you think, even for a dumb yank? You want to watch AQ don't catch up with you, their version of justice my be a cause for discomfort.
Good Luck!
Posted by: Harold | June 19, 2007 10:09 AM
Hmmm, I seem to remember stories of a couple of chaps who were very divisive and caused much bloodshed etc through their writings and teachings... What were their names.... Jeez, Josh Oh yeah, Jesus. And the other guy, Mo.. um, Moha... Help a guy out here, people.
Posted by: Alan | June 19, 2007 10:10 AM
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has an established church: the Church of England. I would like to know how in the world it is possible for a peer of the realm to be a member of a religion which imposes a duty on its adherents to conquer the world and make it subservient to a theocracy based in Mecca. This is treason against the UK, and unless Lord Ahmed specifically disavows any intention along these lines, he should not even be eligible for citizenship, much less a peerage.
Posted by: Some Guy | June 19, 2007 10:10 AM
My irony meter just vaporized itself. Doesn't he follow a book in which he reads it to say to kill others in the name of religion? Isn't the concept the same?
Posted by: llDayo | June 19, 2007 10:15 AM
"Bit of a racist title to the article don't you think, even for a dumb yank?"
Please enlighten us- where is any race mentioned in the title?
Posted by: MJ Memphis | June 19, 2007 10:15 AM
It looks to me that HRH Elisabeth is considering running for office and has hired Helen Mirren and the government? of Iran to handle her PR. She is almost as publicised as Tony Blair. best wishes
Posted by: roneida | June 19, 2007 10:16 AM
LET'S BE CLEAR: Salman Rushdie does not have blood on his hands. Those who actually murdered other human beings because their feelings were hurt are the ones with blood on their hands. Remember: There was no bloodshed UNTIL those who were "offended" decided to murder innocent people.
Posted by: RF | June 19, 2007 10:16 AM
I'm not a Muslim but I may have got it wrong. Seems that criticism is BAD but killing is GOOD. I usually find Muslims to be nasty, superstitious and ignorant people but I'm going to have to stop saying stuff like that. So I'm working on the solution - smile, be nice - oops, sorry about that - just doing my duty.
NEXT
Posted by: Sean Shalor | June 19, 2007 10:17 AM
ok so if people shouldnt be offended over their religion being criticized in that case why is the christain world screaming over a video game 'resistance fall of man' just because there was a sequence where a manchester cathedral is a fighting ground?
that makes everyone stupid right? means anyone can criticize moral values of a religion namely islam but people want sony to apologize over a video game?
this is just lame.
Posted by: just another guy | June 19, 2007 10:18 AM
Is right, Arise sir Rushdie.
Posted by: BRAP | June 19, 2007 10:19 AM
I have never read Salman Rushdie.
However, I suspect this debate requires everyone to learn something.
Some months ago, there was a flap about a Dutch cartoon. While I believe most religious zelots (whether Muslim, Christian, or Jewish) today are off the deep end, I don't see the benefit of intentional offense. Actually, I see phenomenal harm.
At the same time, western states (and for that matter the emergent eastern states) need to take a hard look the governments with which they have relations. A concerted effort for alternative fuels and a green environment would allow us to ignore the many oil rich countries who disrespect our traditions for free exchange of ideas.
Posted by: John | June 19, 2007 10:20 AM
The only problem I have with the article is that the Queen seems to no longer be queen of Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, let alone Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc.
Posted by: Matt Penfold | June 19, 2007 10:20 AM
Congratulations to Mr Rushdie. And I sincerely hope the British establishment will in no way fold to these religious zealots. As a Christian, it offends me to see muslims beheading and bombing innocent people. However, I don't think the Christian world should unite, put on backpacks full of explosives and unleash a blast of fury and unnecessary violence towards islamist countries because of it. That is, and always will be, the difference between us. We seem to be more able to apply reason and commonsense. We don't see the catch all answer to everything to be unmitigated violence and oppression.
Posted by: Eddy | June 19, 2007 10:21 AM
anyone remember the chaos that started when the di vinci code was launched?
how everyone reacted to that
were you lame idiots dead back then or you simply decided to jump into that and say it was wrong
it is so disgusting to see that mother nature allows racists like you to live.
if anyone talks about chirst we need to get up and fight but other religions can go to hell right?
Posted by: stop being racist? | June 19, 2007 10:21 AM
Imagine Mr. Rushdie substituted Islam with Christianity, Hinduism or Sikhism in his book. Mention "Pope" to spice it up a bit.
You'll hear war cries from fanatics of the sort - Mr. Bush, Mr. Bal Thackeray or Sikh fanatic leaders.
Posted by: RollerSun | June 19, 2007 10:21 AM
As a "Yank," I respond to Harold, who wrote, "Bit of a racist title to the article don't you think, even for a dumb yank? You want to watch AQ don't catch up with you, their version of justice my be a cause for discomfort."
Harold, obviously an appeasing Brit (you know, the types who CAUSED this problem in the first place), needs to do a bit of history. As in "Neville Chamberlain."
These INSANE MUSLIMS, seemingly most of them, deserve whatever they bring upon themselves. ANY religion, any person, any group -- that fosters this kind of hatred and violence deserves to be put down or put out by any means necessary.
Obviously too many Brits learned NOTHING from World War II. Rampaging Muslims are like wild dogs: uncontrollable absent strong, immediate, certain, escalated violence until the violence stops. Saying "please" to Islam has demonstrably not worked.
Posted by: Ed | June 19, 2007 10:21 AM
The fundamental difference between Western and Islamic society at the moment is very neatly embodied by this one issue. No matter how theocratic and bonkers Bush and Blair and his followers ever get accused of being, there are more books hugely offensive to Christian sensibilities published, without much more than a mild whinge, in these ostensibly Christian countries than there are books offensive to Islam. By orders of magnitude, I should imagine.
If you wanted evidence that we in the West are still secular, Enlightenment-based societies then this is it. These values may need vigilant defending at all times, but they are still the ones by which we govern our societies, in the main.
Posted by: Matthew Young | June 19, 2007 10:22 AM
"that makes everyone stupid right? means anyone can criticize moral values of a religion namely islam but people want sony to apologize over a video game?"
So has the Church of England pronounced a death sentence on the creators of the video game yet? Have irate Anglicans started violent riots over it? Or are you just making a completely invalid comparison?
Posted by: MJ Memphis | June 19, 2007 10:24 AM
Just finished reading American Alone. This is a great book pitting the West against the rants of the Muslim world. Strapping bombs on to blow up innocents while proclaiming theirs is the only religion speaks volumes about intolerance and the need for the west to continue calling them out.
Much has been made of the brutal religions of past years but the Muslim world continues to exist in ignorance and stupidity - why don't we all just go back 13 centuries and try it again.
Posted by: leslie | June 19, 2007 10:24 AM
Its true and I agree the idea of killing just for having a different opinion is wrong. But we need to understand this not only practiced my Muslims, its done widely by the west. Except the west tries to back it up with crab from the media. Let me ask this question, how many Iraqis the US has killed and why ?
if someone speak about to it Fox news, he\she is told to shoot up !!
Posted by: Someone | June 19, 2007 10:25 AM
Ed Brayton...You're a wise man from what I can tell from this web article. THANK YOU for saying these things. Too bad the sanity check will never reach the crazy ones.
Posted by: Joel | June 19, 2007 10:25 AM
Pretty damn stupid this Sir crap, pointlessly provoking terrorism, for what purpose ? Blair's legacy ! I think we've all had enough of the legacy. Rushdie's time was 18 years ago, it is blatant provocation to make him Sir now. He was all but forgotten until yesterday. How stupid can Blair get risking civil unrest and terror for a snub against Tehran. I just hope the young Muslim hot heads realise that this was not an act of the ordinary citizens they now have a new feeble excuse to target on buses, trains and planes. Despite having 2 muslims welcomed into my family, I am Islamophobic when I travel on the London Tube, who can blame me ? Blair just go before you do any more damage for the sake of your stupid legacy.
Posted by: Richard Stow | June 19, 2007 10:26 AM
As a Muslim, i just wanted to say, I am not offended by Rushdi's book at all! I mean, he has the right to fictionize the book if he wants... there are parodies on the bible ALL THE TIME! Those idiots on the other side of the world don't represent all 1.5 Billion of us Muslims... and screw them for thinking that. So congrats to Rushdie for that accomplishment.
Though it is odd, the timing of the award, just with all the problems the U.S. and Britain are in with the Islamic East. =)
Posted by: afshan | June 19, 2007 10:26 AM
Possibly the most eloquent statement I've heard in a decade:
Nonsense. If your religion says that you have the right to kill anyone who criticizes your religion - fuck your religion.
Hear, hear, Mr. Brayton. Thank you for having the courage to say in a public forum what mainstream media should have been saying 50 years ago to middle-eastern extremists.
Posted by: Simon | June 19, 2007 10:27 AM
This is a scienceblog? Bigoted, bitchy, unoriginal, badly written bollocks.
Posted by: Tobin Nisgod | June 19, 2007 10:29 AM
Even its not really, it should be the right of anyone to say whatever they want. I can't believe these clowns can't see the nauseating stupidity in what they're saying.
-fuck you Islam- and any other religion while im at it....
Posted by: meshuggahnaught | June 19, 2007 10:29 AM
The point is whether we like or are offended by someone's writings or speech WE ALLOW IT! Then WE get a chance to speak our mind in rebuttal. The NUTS on all sides want to silent the speech they don't approve of. Democracy is all about having the power to speak exactly what no one wants to hear. Islamists are all about silence of the lambs... and slaughter to achieve it.
Posted by: Gwen | June 19, 2007 10:30 AM
tsk...tsk...
Posted by: david olson farmer waterville mn. | June 19, 2007 10:30 AM
I'm just a little baffled by all this. Why would any Muslim country feel it has the right to meddle in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation like Britain? What's good for the goose is good for the gander. If they can meddle, then there is no reason the west should refrain from meddling in the affairs of Muslim states. The Muslim attitude only invites an international free-for-all and the poor misguided fools aren't intelligent enough to see this.
Posted by: Louis Kuhelj | June 19, 2007 10:30 AM
Jebus, you're genuinely bonkers, aren't you! Well done.
You are using the precise argument that Iranian and Pakistani and any number of other regimes use to justify the buildup of a nuclear arsenal: 'Look what America and Britain did to Iraq. If we can't defend ourselves they will do the same to us - diplomacy has demonstrably not worked.'
Do you seriously think this is a productive way to lessen the threat to freedom in the modern world?
Posted by: Matthew Young | June 19, 2007 10:31 AM
I have an idea.
Lets put all the religious nuts & fanatics (Moslem, Christian, Jewish, Hinduist etc..) all in one big arena where they'll fight each other to the death.
Then take the few survivors left, congratulate them, and finally shoot them in the head.
We could even make it a "real life" TV show. High audience guaranteed.
Posted by: Gypsy | June 19, 2007 10:31 AM
how stupid is "knighthood"? Come on, "wake up and smell the 18th century"? You mean when daily public hangings were the most popular form of entertainment in Jolly Olde Englande?
Oh Enlightened Civilized Western World - let the ignorant world bow before your cultured ways.
Sir Crappy Novelist, arise!
Posted by: tom | June 19, 2007 10:32 AM
People who see Islam as a purely violent religion are ignorant of the facts that all major religions have had extremists, and that there are not over a billion Islamic extremists in our world. Terrorism is primarily a political manipulation of religious fanatics, which focuses on specific parts of a religion that can be taken out of context and manipulated to produce desired ends.
The attitude that the religion is evil, or that the specific verses used to manipulate people are, at their core, evil, is an undue motion of disrespect toward all Muslims. It would be like quoting certain verses in the Bible and calling them 'Satanic', simply because people can read them out of context.
In fact, even if you are not 'religious', you can relate. Take whatever you believe and put it into words. Now, if those words can be taken out of context at all, it would be like saying your beliefs are evil because of that alone. Perhaps you feel it is your responsibility to clarify your beliefs so much that there is absolutely no ambiguity. But, even then, you have to take into account that there may be semantic differences, such as definitions, that others have. Are you responsible for knowing how anyone can interpret what you say?
I'm not Muslim. I'm Christian. The two most important responsibilities of Christians are to love God above all else, then love all other people as we love ourselves. Nothing in the Christian faith should be allowed to overrule these. So, if you are Christian, I suggest you view this event with the attitude we are drawn toward, that of our Lord.
Posted by: Mark Williamson | June 19, 2007 10:33 AM
MOHAMED WAS JUST A MAN. THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM ARE LIKE CATTLE TO SLAUGHTER. THEY DO NOT USE THE BRAINS THEY WERE BORN WITH AND HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED FROM BIRTH. IT IS THE SAME AS IF I TOLD YOU FOR THE FIRST 18 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE THE SKY IS RED. YOU WOULD HAVE A TOUGH TIME DISCERNING THE TRUTH BECAUSE OF THE NARROW SCOPE OF YOUR EDUCATION. IN ADDITION YOU WOULD DEFEND YOUR POSITION EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE "WRONG". THIS IS ISLAM. IT IS A SHAME. THE NARROW VIEW TAKEN HAS STIFLED ANY COGNITIVE DEVELOPEMENT IN THE MUSLIM WORLD. BECAUSE OF ISLAM THERE HAS BEEN NO SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION BY MUSLIMS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. HOW CAN AL SADR BE A LEADER WHEN HIS KNOWLEDGE IS SO LIMITED AND HIS VIEW SO SKEWED BY A THEOLOGY OF HATE AND VIOLENCE.
Posted by: NORMAN | June 19, 2007 10:36 AM
MOHAMED WAS JUST A MAN. THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM ARE LIKE CATTLE TO SLAUGHTER. THEY DO NOT USE THE BRAINS THEY WERE BORN WITH AND HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED FROM BIRTH. IT IS THE SAME AS IF I TOLD YOU FOR THE FIRST 18 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE THE SKY IS RED. YOU WOULD HAVE A TOUGH TIME DISCERNING THE TRUTH BECAUSE OF THE NARROW SCOPE OF YOUR EDUCATION. IN ADDITION YOU WOULD DEFEND YOUR POSITION EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE "WRONG". THIS IS ISLAM. IT IS A SHAME. THE NARROW VIEW TAKEN HAS STIFLED ANY COGNITIVE DEVELOPEMENT IN THE MUSLIM WORLD. BECAUSE OF ISLAM THERE HAS BEEN NO SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION BY MUSLIMS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. HOW CAN AL SADR BE A LEADER WHEN HIS KNOWLEDGE IS SO LIMITED AND HIS VIEW SO SKEWED BY A THEOLOGY OF HATE AND VIOLENCE.
Posted by: NORMAN | June 19, 2007 10:36 AM
RollerSun:
I don't have the knowledge to speak about likely Sikh reaction, but the fact is that books are routinely published that either blaspheme Jesus, in the eyes of orthodox Christianity, such as The DaVinci Code, or that are blatantly anti-Christian, such as Christopher Hitchen's latest work, with nary a Christian threatening the author. I don't consider this particularly to Christianity's credit, which through much of its history has burned heretics and banned their works. It is instead a cultural attribute of the modern world, where people of all religions and beliefs have learned that their recourse against words they don't like is to reply with their own words, not with violence.
Posted by: Russell | June 19, 2007 10:37 AM
I share your mixed feelings about the monarchy but congrats to Mr. Rushdie. Ooooh, the Pakistani Parliament! They can go dither in alleys until they decide to support courageous rape victims speaking out in their own blasted country. Until then, STFU, Pakistan.
(Hey "stop being racist?" - how about Robert Price's The Da Vinci Fraud? Minnesota Atheists hosted him. Read the book?)
Posted by: Kristine | June 19, 2007 10:37 AM
Eddie, please....
Don't get your own panties in a bunch.
There have been women leaders in countries for some time.
Knighthood is for achievement which one of your favorite authors rightly deserves.
How do you know she did not read the book? Assume means...
The Islamic movement is insulted by anything outside of their own minds.
Let it go.
F--- their religion? Careful. You may be on the next list with you fav author.
Posted by: Wayne Allyn | June 19, 2007 10:39 AM
I think you'll find that far from being clever sarcasm, this is exactly the point: The trivial nature of both the monarchy and the concept of a knighthood are part of what makes the over-reaction so absurd.
And, Mark Williamson apart from a couple of idiots (mostly identifiable by over-enthusiastic use of CAPITAL LETTERS) most people here aren't exactly criticising Islam. They are criticising the sort of deranged extremists who think that the death penalty for writing a naughty book is anything other than lunacy.
Posted by: Matthew Young | June 19, 2007 10:39 AM
Now, I am going to read the book "Satanic Verses" precisely because it pisses the Muslim wackos off so much.
Posted by: Chris Schene | June 19, 2007 10:42 AM
Who gives a damn? Everything is just phony.
Posted by: Madan Dev, Dayton, Ohio | June 19, 2007 10:43 AM
Who gives a damn? Everything is just phony.
Posted by: Madan Dev, Dayton, Ohio | June 19, 2007 10:43 AM
Who gives a damn? Everything is just phony.
Posted by: Madan Dev, Dayton, Ohio | June 19, 2007 10:43 AM
i think people are not denying that that Salman is a great author and has a great way of using the English language, although it is not his first language. what they are upset or shocked at, including myself, is that he is not deserving of a knighthood. Knighthoods are given to people who have achieved a lot and represented the state in a good light across the globe throughout their life- according to many people managing to get a fatwa issued against him doesn't put him in that category. One needs to truly try and understand why the knighthood was given to him and not a CBE, OBE or any other honour. Has he really achieved so much? Unfortunately the nation as a whole just know him as the author who had a fatwa issued against him by an Iranian ayatollah for the Satanic Verses. There are many other British authors who are equally as talented or better, and have contributed more to literature as they have published more books which are at a higher standard. This Knighthood looks political. Muslims express their regret at the Queens decision as it seems that without the fatwa Salman would not be as known or have a knighthood. It is not those Muslim that issued the fatwa, but it is those British Muslims who have their feelings trodden on by royalty that they and their ancestors have served.
Posted by: Abdul | June 19, 2007 10:43 AM
Think all religious are open to debate and criticism but the difference is the Christian faith, when derided does not have its people advocating that we kill those people who have dared to deride, mock or make jokes about it.
Posted by: izzy | June 19, 2007 10:44 AM
Not a lot of semantic differences here:
ISLAMABAD: A cleric has issued a fatwa ordering the killing of the editor and the publisher of a local fashion magazine for publishing allegedly objectionable pictures of Adam and Eve.
Then again - I'm not religious so what do I know. Just think the guy's a jerk - and psychotic - and dangerous.
Posted by: Sean Shalor | June 19, 2007 10:45 AM
Hi,
Way to go! Yes, I fully agree with your comments. I do realize that these muslim fundamentalists have a totally different view of religion and of what consitutes a faith-based life, than most of us here in the Western world.
However, let them keep it to themselves. I believe firmly in freedom of expression, which includes honouring literary figures, if we wish. Mind you, let's not forget that there are Christian fundamentalists who would burn books and impose their views on the rest of the world, if they could. There are also similar zealots in the Jewish Faith. Our freedom of expression must be protected from all of them.
All the best!
Laurie
Posted by: Laurie | June 19, 2007 10:45 AM
What is it about the Islamic faith? Is it so fragile that any kind of critisism will destroy it?
All religions and political ideologies should be mature enough to take critism and being ridiculed without imploding if they truly believe in their faith what possible harm can it do to show a sense of humour or tolerance?
After all Religion is a matter of personal choice not a something you are born with.
Posted by: Mark | June 19, 2007 10:45 AM
Some of these countries with majority islamic populations can be rather contradictory. Three of them have managed to elect women as either head of state or head of government (in the case of one of them, both) which is more than the US has managed yet.
Posted by: Matt Penfold | June 19, 2007 10:45 AM
I commend the Queen for her action. Just goes to show that the old values have their place in society. Values like recognizing Rushdie's contributions to that society.
The rest of society manages to ignore so called 'attacks' on their belief systems and moves on. Is there some particular reason why SOME Islamic individuals cannot? I have a feeling that it is more about power and self-gratification among the 'leadership' of that faith than it is about defending said faith.
The fuss over this event just goes to show why I am an Agnostic who is REALLY starting to lean toward becoming an Atheist. Too bad more Islamist's can't take the same road (the one that involves thinking for yourself).
Posted by: Allan | June 19, 2007 10:46 AM
The US is busy in the Highway Robbery of our time...yes the 4 trillion dollar OIL invasion, they have NO interest in openning schools BUT more jails in Iraq to house more people in jails...just as they have done it in California...house more BAD people (Maxicans, Blacks and Power white trash) so..that the good people (with Money or power) can enjoy the sunshine State ! Look in your own acts before you label these uneducataed muslim people (not neccessarily bad people)...and why uneducated ? oh yeah the Queen Rob there fortunes just a century ago by colonialism...send the Last Mughal King Shah Jahan the heads of his 8 sons was not an act of terrorism at all.. how would the Queen feel if these Muslim would do the same to her remaining bloodline ?
Posted by: Jeff White | June 19, 2007 10:46 AM
Some months ago, there was a flap about a Dutch cartoon
You missed the point on this one. We (educated westerners) put a guy in prison for denying the holocaust yet we laugh at another beliefs (the largest religion in the world I believe) deity. A little biased isn't it?
My position - God doesn't exist and this thread is created by someone to have a metaphorical wank as a substitute for his weaknesses.
Posted by: mikey | June 19, 2007 10:47 AM
Gwen, you got it exactly right. If we all start killing people who "offend" us, we will be a self-destructing world. Just in NYC alone, there are myriad religions represented and we all live in relative peace because we allow, no we encourage, people to voice their opinions even when we don't agree with them. To threaten the exercise of free speech with death is to give in to the tyranny that so many died to end.
And Afshan, thank you for speaking out on behalf of the many SANE Islamic people. That, in my opinion, takes a lot more guts than a suicide bombing.
Posted by: deb | June 19, 2007 10:49 AM
What do you call a NON Extremeist Muslim? NON-Practicing! Of course!
Posted by: Hans Christian Anderson | June 19, 2007 10:49 AM
Allan said "I commend the Queen for her action. Just goes to show that the old values have their place in society".
It is not the Queen who decided to bestow the knighthood. That is done by an honours committee which accepts nominations from political parties and the public. There is one type of knighthood the Queen grants personally, but the one Rushdie has got is not one those.
Posted by: Matt Penfold | June 19, 2007 10:50 AM
i think people are not denying that that Salman is a great author and has a great way of using the English language, although it is not his first language. what they are upset or shocked at, including myself, is that he is not deserving of a knighthood. Knighthoods are given to people who have achieved a lot and represented the state in a good light across the globe throughout their life- according to many people managing to get a fatwa issued against him doesn't put him in that category. One needs to truly try and understand why the knighthood was given to him and not a CBE, OBE or any other honour. Has he really achieved so much? Unfortunately the nation as a whole just know him as the author who had a fatwa issued against him by an Iranian ayatollah for the Satanic Verses. There are many other British authors who are equally as talented or better, and have contributed more to literature as they have published more books which are at a higher standard. This Knighthood looks political. Muslims express their regret at the Queens decision as it seems that without the fatwa Salman would not be as known or have a knighthood. It is not those Muslim that issued the fatwa, but it is those British Muslims who have their feelings trodden on by royalty that they and their ancestors have served.
Posted by: Abdul | June 19, 2007 10:54 AM
"What do you call a NON Extremeist Muslim? NON-Practicing! Of course!"
You could say the same thing about "non-extremist Christians"; it would be equally invalid. Most practicing Muslims find a way to make it through their days without murdering blasphemers, just as most practicing Christians seem to make do without burning witches anymore.
Posted by: MJ Memphis | June 19, 2007 10:56 AM
Abdul, you have a couple of valid points and couple of less valid ones.
His literary achievements are open to question and subject to opinion, of course.
Also, given the sensitivity of relations between Islamic and Western worlds at the moment it is certainly an eyebrow-raisingly controversial choice, especially given the large British Muslim populations. Whether or not it was actually wrong is a different question, however.
'Managing to get a fatwa issued against him'? Well he hardly would have chosen it, would he? Surely you should be querying the people issuing fatwas as a form of hysterical literary criticism rather than someone who has committed no greater crime than write a book.
And as to the award being political, well there's nothing wrong with that - people are given knighthoods for political achievements all the time. Perhaps having had the courage to live under threat of a fatwa for twenty years whilst continuing to pursue his artistic goals is an achievement of significant merit which should be applauded.
This is a possibility, although it seems to me that your beef should be with the Ayatollah. He issued that imbecilic fatwa and elevated Rushdie to celebrity status, so if the fatwa has increased Rushdie's exposure and reputation then it is squarely the fault of the Ayatollah, surely?
Posted by: Matthew Young | June 19, 2007 10:56 AM
Well done by the way, Ed. That's nearly 1 response per minute since the post went up. What's your record?
Posted by: Matthew Young | June 19, 2007 10:58 AM
I don't empathize with crazed maniacs who would call for a fatwa on someone's head because of an exercise of freedom of speech...Salman had the right to say what he did in his book...his book to be quite honest was a terrible book, if not one of the most over hyped books I've personally ever read...as a Muslim-Literist, I do not think this book would have been on anyone's radar had the Muslims not made such a big fuss about an individual who tainted certain pieces of information in an attempt to paint a coherent picture that does not exist...if Muslims wanted a rebuttal, they should have written a book in response and left it at that...I, as a Muslim, agree with you that Muslim Extremism needs to stop...
BUT I will also add that western instigation into these types of situations do not help...here are some quotes by Salman's own peers who are NOT MUSLIM...
Roald Dahl who called him "a dangerous opportunist", Germaine Greer who called him "an Englishman with dark skin" and Hugh Trevor-Roper who said "I would not shed a tear if some British Muslims should waylay him in a dark street".
Posted by: Muslim | June 19, 2007 11:00 AM
The principle of free speech is an important one. But it is also important to exercise responsibility in how you express yourself. Much of the language in this blog and many of the comments seems like it is intended to provoke anger, and it labels vast numbers of people as extreme, when in fact, most of them are peace loving and moderate. In a world dominated by the values of violence, the voices of the bullies will seem normal, and that is a sad thing.
Let's all just stop this cruelty and bullying, please.
Posted by: Steve Lowman | June 19, 2007 11:02 AM
"Some months ago, there was a flap about a Dutch cartoon
You missed the point on this one. We (educated westerners) put a guy in prison for denying the holocaust yet we laugh at another beliefs (the largest religion in the world I believe) deity. A little biased isn't it?
My position - God doesn't exist and this thread is created by someone to have a metaphorical wank as a substitute for his weaknesses.
Posted by: Mikey | June 19, 2007 10:47 AM"
That comparison is off based and way to close to the reasoning of the recent Iranian Holocaust Denial show. The Holocaust is a historical fact. (Caused by the "enlightened" west.)This event remains true no matter how many people believe or deny the facts. The number of believers has no effect on if a religion is true.
And for the record, I do think that jailing Holocaust deniers is going to extremes.
And I laugh at all believers, especially when believe leds the people to conflicts with facts.
Posted by: Janine | June 19, 2007 11:07 AM
These fanatics should be wasted without mercy. They hijack Islam, hook line and sinker.
As a muslim, I say we should be proud that Salman got the knighthood. Your way is not to read or write books but to blind people before they become enlightened.
I am sick of these fanatics claiming to act for muslims.
Posted by: navin | June 19, 2007 11:08 AM
Let's all just stop this cruelty and bullying, please.
Which cruelty and bullying are you referring to -- the writings of Westerners, or the violence of Muslim extremists?
Posted by: Raging Bee | June 19, 2007 11:08 AM
Knighthood for Rushdie is well deserved and late in coming. He's an awesome writer and scholar. While antiquated by today's standards, knighthood is equivalent to being named to one of the National Academies or the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Incidentally, ERI (1533-1603) was was the last Queen of England. ERII is not the Queen of England, she's Queen of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as the Kingdom of England does not currently exist as such.
Posted by: Eric Bittner | June 19, 2007 11:08 AM
If the Muslim majority is peace loving then why don't they clean house and get rid of the small violent minority of their brothers who want to murder and destroy everything they get upset about?
"Oh please stop this cruelty and bullying." Oh, how pathetic.
Posted by: Melvin Leppla | June 19, 2007 11:08 AM
Yes, Yes, Yes, We are all Muslims and we live for Peace and this is what the now Muslim world always says and they also seems to put poor Profet Mohammad and his name into what ever they do . But Look closely, they want to kill every one who talks or critises about their religion--"where is tolerance??" did Your Profet not teach and preach tolerance I think you even hurt your self as a religious practice as a symbolic way of showing that you take the hurt that will be induced to others for their act of sin during "Ramadhan"....But all of them totally forget about these good things and kill innocent and un-armed "NUNS" ( Remember the killings of Nuns who were helping small kids in Africa in the recent past). What a brave and corageous act of "Man-Hood" and your Profet and GOD is going to consider you as a brave matyer. Are you really "Muslims". I don't think so.
Stupid fucks. go fuck yourselves for you and your idea of religion if killing is all you got is full of shit.
Posted by: Pritt | June 19, 2007 11:09 AM
Yes Steve Lowman, we here at this blog are partly to blame for the fatwa placed on Rushdie's head. If we were to shut up and say nothing and, oh, let some of these Muslims have there way and murder him, all will become mush more peaceful for all of us.
Sorry but at least most of us here are not calling for the murder of people who we disagree with with. We just wish they would be sane.
Posted by: Janine | June 19, 2007 11:12 AM
Interesting how folks on the left seem to feel that we have no right to defend ourselves until we are currently perfect and have absolved any sins from our past.
Teddy Roosevelt said-
"The pacifist is as surely a traitor to his country and to humanity as is the most brutal wrongdoer. "
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/theodorero147892.html
Don't think that we are going to allow a bunch of spineless, neurotic, pacifists to keep us from protecting our country.
Posted by: Patrick Henry | June 19, 2007 11:15 AM
How on Earth did this become the fault of the U.S. and Tony Blair?
Posted by: RK | June 19, 2007 11:17 AM
Great article!!! Any religious belief taken to the extreme is WRONG, anything can be justified in the name of your god at that point. I believe the author was just saying what was and is on everyone's mind.
Who was the last zealot that justified great atrocities and killed a large number of people that didn't believe his way?.. Yeah, Hilter. At least we got the Volkswagen out of it, yeah... thats it. Would what we will get out of the Islamic world?
Yes, Hitler had a religion... himself, self serving. As those of any religion that is extreme.
Posted by: John | June 19, 2007 11:17 AM
Well done Britain. Another excellent example of sheer arrogance coupled with ignorant incompetence. I am sure Mr. Rushdie is a fine upstanding gentleman and thankfully we live in a civilised society where people can speak and write their minds. However, was there any great need to award someone with such lavish attention given it would directly insult any and all Muslims around the world. I am a British Soldier and I am not the only Soldier thinking this way. I respect all religions. It makes me sick to see such flagrant disregard for others. We need to do away with this excuse for a monarchy. This will make it even harder for our troops out in the Middle East trying to win hearts and minds.
Posted by: Derek Jones | June 19, 2007 11:19 AM
JESUS WAS JUST A MAN. THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM ARE LIKE CATTLE TO SLAUGHTER. THEY DO NOT USE THE BRAINS THEY WERE BORN WITH AND HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED FROM BIRTH. IT IS THE SAME AS IF I TOLD YOU FOR THE FIRST 18 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE THE SKY IS RED. YOU WOULD HAVE A TOUGH TIME DISCERNING THE TRUTH BECAUSE OF THE NARROW SCOPE OF YOUR EDUCATION. IN ADDITION YOU WOULD DEFEND YOUR POSITION EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE "WRONG". THIS IS CHRISTIANITY. IT IS A SHAME. THE NARROW VIEW TAKEN HAS STIFLED ANY COGNITIVE DEVELOPEMENT IN THE CHRISTIAN WORLD. BECAUSE OF CHRISTIANITY THERE HAS BEEN NO SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION BY CHRISTIANS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. HOW CAN GEORGE BUSH BE A LEADER WHEN HIS KNOWLEDGE IS SO LIMITED AND HIS VIEW SO SKEWED BY A THEOLOGY OF HATE AND VIOLENCE.
Posted by: George | June 19, 2007 11:22 AM
All of the MAJOR religious leaders have sparked violence through their rebelious/radical teachings. Face the facts folks... Jesus was a pissed off rebel with absolutely NO intentions of following his government. He proved it many times over. Read his biography. And his followers are the same, seeking freedom, not secure bondage. I applaud the knighthood of Sir Salman Rushdie. It shows a comittment to truth and knowledge that obviously the offended parties don't care about.
What we must remember is that some people value truth. Others don't. Those who don't care about the truth of the real world will get their feelings hurt, and demand appologies etc.. The irony to me is the fact that these "muslims" who are upset are threatening to act in the exact way that Rushdie prescribed. How does that work? Fighting fire with fire only fuels the flame. Water is a better solution. Try something different. You have 3 options when faced with a dilemma: 1) Fix the problem (since they are speaking out against a man who supported violence, violence is NOT changing anything). 2) Leave. 3) In the immortal words of Bill Hicks... "Shut the fuck up".
Posted by: Merlintoad | June 19, 2007 11:24 AM
"Bit of a racist title to the article don't you think, even for a dumb yank? "
You DO realize that Islam is not a "race", don't you?
Guess what? Just because you BELIEVE something crazy (be it Islam, Christianity, or frankly any religion) does NOT give you some inalienable right to not be offended. For instance: I believe that ALL the Abrahamic religions are hogwash. Can I now be mortally offended because SOME OTHERS don't agree with me?
Ridiculous. It's people like you that have gotten us to this state; this mental appeasement and coddling that makes words into weapons.
Posted by: don | June 19, 2007 11:24 AM
isn't it funny how an award for salman rushdie tickles ' those 'islamic nuts'( pun intended)...why ..any award would!!!
and we have guys like ejaz ul huq , the pakistani religious affairs minister justifying suicide attacks. Pigs like these need to be sent to 'planet' pluto which needs a desperate dose of upgradation.. and i believe these epitomes of piety will have everything favorable ...on 'planet' pluto!!!! allah o akbar!!!!!!!!
Posted by: aarvey | June 19, 2007 11:24 AM
Salman Rushdie, like any other great writer, is a voice of conscience. I have read the Satanic Verses, and if I were a Muslim, I should take this book as a gauge as to how faithful or not I am to my religion. Friedrich Nietzsche, for instance, had critiqued Christianity, and so had Soren Kierkegaard. And, out of their critiques, I have at least learned how not to be a Christian Fundamentalist/bigot. It's very unfortunate that many Muslims don't take this opportunity to renew their faith.
Posted by: Jimmy G. | June 19, 2007 11:27 AM
Seriously, all these comments are great. I have nothing against the muslims or the muslim world, but I hate these f*$^ing religious fundamentalists bet it some US southern christian cults or islamic fanatics. They should be set on each other like dogs....and the Pakistan government...duh?..that country was created on islamic grounds that the population of that area was largely islamic..overall its an abberation, it doesn't have a right to exist..Rushdie deserves a knogthhood for his services to literature and if anyone has a problem with...go to hell or blow yourself up at home...big shit..
Posted by: Bill Dome | June 19, 2007 11:27 AM
YEEEEAAAAHHH!!!!
Thank you for a wonderfull article!
In trouth we should cry - not laugh - about how mad a large part of the world population is. I'm just so fed up with crying because of these people!
Posted by: Peder | June 19, 2007 11:28 AM
"Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afgan Khan Niazi who branded Rushdie a "blasphemer.""
Is his last name a spelling error? OK, my apologies to the Nazis.
My favorite comment?
"Germaine Greer who called him "an Englishman with dark skin" "
The only difference between Germaine Greer and a filled air-sickness bag is that the air-sickness bag was of some use to someone at some point in time.
Can we get a fatwa on her, please?
Posted by: Brian Law | June 19, 2007 11:29 AM
First of all if Pakistan is really a peace loving country then stop funding cross bodder terrorism and have some control over your own people. The foriegn minister should know that words once split can not be retrived and he has no rights to ask for the killing of any one in this world. OOO !!! I see now he is after all an un-educated stupid and demented fuck and who was probelly seen too many Hindi movies and want to be the super villian of the Boolywood.
Poor person he needs to be in an assylum people --I mean people of Pakistan . Already your country is full of shit and you have shiity people governing you too....I feel for you "SO CALLED MUSLIMS" who do not even know what your religion stands for and think that killing every one is good.
You people in "Multan" needs some serious Physciatric treatment man . Please read and "UNDERSTAND" the Kuran "FULLY" and "NOT JUST ONE SEGEMENT"...and you will find very quickly that people like your stupid "HERO" "OSAMA" is no less than a "BIG FUCK UP OF THE CENTURY" and is well "DESERVE TO SEE HIS FAMILY DIE PAINFULLY" BEFORE HE EVEN DIES LIKE A "FILTHYPIG" ON THE SIDE OF SEWER INYOUR PAKISTANI STREET WHERE PIGS SHIT AND EAT SHIT"....
GO FUCK YOURSELVES IF YOU PEOPLE SAY THAT MR.SALMA RUSHDI DOES NOT DESERVE THE KNIGHTHOOD.
YOU SHOULD LOOK AT HIM AS A WRITER AND AN AUTHOR. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT MATURITY THEN ITS REALLY A VERY SAD MUSLIM WORLD OVER THERE.
A RELIGION GROWS ONLY WHEN THEY GROW WITH TIME AND IN METAL CAPASITY OF TOLERANCE AND COMPASSION BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE MUSLIM RELIGION IS NEITHER KNOWS TOLERENCE OR COMPASION AND STILL WANTS TO SUBJECT WOMEN TO CREUELTY AND HARM AND OTHER TO BE KILLED IF THEY DO NOT FOLLW THEIR RELIGION.
THINK IF OTHER RELIGION AND BELIEF STARTS THINKING IN THE SAME WAY!!!
I THINK ALL OF THE MUSLIMS WILL BE WIPED OUT IN A SECOND OR TWO....
SO SHUT UP AND GROW UP AND BE TOLERENT AND DO NOT TALK OUT OF YOUR ASS AND USE YOUR FUCKIN BRAINS FOR ONCE FOR GOD SAKE MAN...!!!