Salman Rushdie – A Celebration of Reading

Rushdie In a statement, published on the website for English PEN, an organization that promotes freedom of speech, Salman Rushdie not only condemns the shooting, but religion as a whole.

“Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms,” he wrote. “This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today.”

Rushdie expresses his support for the publication and calls for the defense of satire, “which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity.”

“‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion,’” he concluded. “Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.”

(excerpted from notice at Salon.com)

It’s back …

“The death sentence of Salman Rushdie, an apostate, was issued with the aim of drying up the roots of anti-Islamic conspiracies, and now it is only through this fatwa that we can neutralize the vengeful conspiracies.”

And you thought a crappy anti-Islamic movie wouldn’t affect the literary world. It seems that the same muslim factions that are protesting against the film have concluded that all the films, cartoons, books, etc. would never have happened if the fatwa against Salman Rushdie had been carried out. The only possible answer is to correct their mistake and get Rushdie. I understand that the reward for killing the apostate is up to about three and a half million. I know a couple of guys in North Newark that would make it happen for a lot less.

I understand Rushdie’s position at Emory University is just about over so it will be convenient for the author to go back into hiding.

This death penalty for apostasy may seem a bit drastic but if you look into the Bible, it’s a Christian thing too.