Salman Rushdie Attacked.

Well said jaberwok

Knittingnovice

@Chestnut Do you remember the name of the TV show?

I'm trying to remember as the programme has now become relevant after this attack. About 3-5 years ago a young Muslim journalist went around Bradford talking to Muslims and the book was part of it (not sure if it was just about the book but maybe). There had been very strong feelings there when the book came out and things hadn't changed amongst the older ones. If I find the programme I'll post it here, but I don't even remember what channel it was on.

Galaxy

He is a brave man and the attack is appalling. I dont understand how people can say but its offensive. Numerous posts on here offend me, so what. Free speech is in my opinion one of the most important parts of our democracy.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Free speech that incites violence or murder is not acceptable. I cannot understand why he wrote such a book as he must have known the furore it would cause. Not only putting him and his family at risk but possibly numerous other people in the world (we have no idea how many).

I feel respect is the thing missing in this world, especially respect for other people's beliefs. Why publish things that are deliberately insulting to another faith? I really dislike the Muslim religion mostly because of their attitudes towards women, but I don't believe that insulting them is the way to go. Just as insulting the Christian faith is unacceptable, or indeed any faith.

Jaberwok

paddyann, all the ills of this world according to you are the fault of the Westminster government ! I don't think think even you can blame this appalling attack on Boris/ the tories!!! It has deep historic roots and for the last umpteen years was unfortunately an accident waiting to happen.

I don’t feel that’s what paddy Ann meant or said. I understood her to mean that this government seems to be heading towards becoming an intolerant regime …like Iran, not that it was responsible for this incident.

You have just pretty much insulted everything I believe in chestnut. Who gets to decide what is insulting and offensive.

Galaxy

You have just pretty much insulted everything I believe in chestnut. Who gets to decide what is insulting and offensive.

So you believe inciting murder and violence is acceptable and also insulting other people's faiths? I'm astonished.

Smileless wrote:
"Unfortunately Caleo the 'reward' is still on the table, it should have been rescinded."

So I now understand . I understand there was a more liberal ayatollah, but after him Iran reverted to full- on theocracy.

It's not "insulting "to remark that Islam is more authoritarian and more politicised than most Christian sects.

Rosina wrote of Rushdie:
"He, above all, must have known that controversy would be the least reaction he might expect."

Yes, and so did Jesus .

Yes, you're right there Caleo.

Fatwa was revoked in 1998, but some didn’t recognise it. Everyone should have the right to freedom of speech, he knew when he wrote the book it would offend certain sectors of the Muslim community, but did it any way. I don’t think people should be openly provocative and insult people whatever their race or religion. The person who tried to kill Salman is hailed a hero by many, it us truly sickening, all in the name of religion. It’s beyond reason.

Have you actually read The Satanic Verses, Chestnut? I have, nowhere does it incite ‘murder and violence’ or insult anybody’s faith.

It is actually overlong, turgid and quite boring, nowhere near as good as Midnight’s Children, but if we’re going to issue fatwas on authors for those reasons it’ll be a bloody long list.

Most, if not all, of those involved in this hate crime against Rushdie will not have read this book,

And who will decide what is offensive? Who gets that power? Johnson? Trump? If not them why not? They were democratically elected so are you ok with those people having control over speech. You dont get to choose who holds the power you know.
Religions influence society and hold considerable power, of course they should be subjects of discussion, literature and even comedy.

Openly provocative or maybe challenging orthodoxies?

Blossoming

Have you actually read The Satanic Verses, Chestnut? I have, nowhere does it incite ‘murder and violence’ or insult anybody’s faith.

It is actually overlong, turgid and quite boring, nowhere near as good as Midnight’s Children, but if we’re going to issue fatwas on authors for those reasons it’ll be a bloody long list.

Most, if not all, of those involved in this hate crime against Rushdie will not have read this book,

I never said the book itself incites murder or violence but the very publishing of it does because of the crazy radical types who will see it as an insult. It is clear that the book is still seen as deeply offensive to this day by those people. Not only Rushdie has been attacked but now J K Rowling is being threatened. How many more? Whatever you think of the book or his right to publish it I feel it was not a good move because of the repercussions.

JK Rowling stands with Rushdie because she knows the danger of limiting speech. She is brave as he was. If we all stood and said no the danger would be less. Not speaking out makes it much much worse.

So we should be silent Chestnut? Nothing should be published that will cause offence to anyone, anywhere, because their will be repercussions? Isn't that what the Taliban have decreed in Afghanistan? And China? And Russia?

Chewbacca ???

Chewbacca

So we should be silent Chestnut? Nothing should be published that will cause offence to anyone, anywhere, because their will be repercussions? Isn't that what the Taliban have decreed in Afghanistan? And China? And Russia?

I don't believe in speaking out if what you say results in violence and murder. Causing offence is quite normal, but it generally doesn't result in violence and murder. If you deliberately offend those kinds of people then the result will be murder and violence, we know that from experience. .

So we must bow down to dictators and tyrants, Chestnut, if they threaten us with violence?

So we must bow down to dictators and tyrants, Chestnut, if they threaten us with violence?

Seems so SueDonim; first we'll have to censor the press; not print anything that might investigate corruption, misogyny, terrorist acts, modern slavery, just in case the perpetrators get agitated and start threatening to kill and maim us for speaking out. Then we'll censor broadcasting on tv, radio, podcasts from reporting news of those threats, just in case that rattles them more and they escalate their threads and violence. Finally, we'll censor books being written about such things, so that there's no trace or record to go down in history.

Free speech is absolutely to be protected, otherwise we may as well all live under Taliban rule.
Being offended gives nobody the right to attack another physically.

I’m not a huge Stephen Fry fan, but I’ve always liked this quote (includes a swear word).

www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwierKuhmsX5AhUKT8AKHbYcCDMQFnoECCQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fknowyourmeme.com%2Fphotos%2F808609-retard&usg=AOvVaw2LGdJzqVvUJcwBeGhZLuFW

And people think they can control the limits somehow but they cant. If we dont say those words it will be ok. But then there will be more and more words that cause offense. So it might be that the words I think women can earn their own money are enough to cause that offense. Should we stop saying that. The best way is for us all to say no then the risk is not focused on one person such as Salman Rushdie or JK Rowling.

Chestnut

Galaxy

You have just pretty much insulted everything I believe in chestnut. Who gets to decide what is insulting and offensive.

So you believe inciting murder and violence is acceptable and also insulting other people's faiths? I'm astonished.

Have you read Satanic Verses?

The furore is because Muhammad is considered to be infallible by modern Muslim scholars.

Basically Rushdie questioned that infallibility in his 'magic realism' genre novel.

Authors should be allowed to speak 'impermissible' truths without fear of persecution or threats of death.

The book in no way incites murder or violence. And questioning a faith is only insulting to those who make that subjective assumption.

Literature often offends. How far do you believe we should go to cater for everyone's sensitivity? Cast the net wide enough, and Literature would cease to exist.

It's a slippery slope you seem to want to go down.