Should Rushdie be killed.

[behemoth]

He's a pretty shit novelist, IMO

"Midnight's Children" is one of the best books I've ever read. Reading it also made me reconsider my opinion of him as an ungrateful graceless bastard.

 

[peppery]

If you have to threaten to kill someone because they question your beliefs then your beliefs are built on nothing but illusion.

Personally I think a fair chunk of people in this country have chosen to isolate themselves & don't want to participate in our society. I think thats an uncomfortable truth rather than right wing propoganda.

What do you base this on? Do you have empirical evidence?

 

[Pickman's model]

gee thats original! what a wit!

 

[sevenstars]

Salman Rushdie in todays sunday herald

http://www.sundayherald.com/51499

“[Islam] has become a world subject and one of the reasons I have a point of view is that I remember a time when it was different. In the 1950s in Kashmir, the Islam that existed was mystical, tolerant and had nothing to do with the international Islamic jihad, which didn’t really exist then – not until the President of the United States created it.

“I think Bush has done what Bin Laden failed to do.

He was also critical of the West: “One of the more alarming things in the US is the growth of radical Christian politics and the way that has infiltrated the heights American power,”
28 August 2005

 

[Dilzybhoy]

Oh God.

You rang?

 

[sevenstars]

Rushdie dismisses Galloway's claims

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/otherparties/story/0,9061,1558492,00.html

Rushdie dismisses Galloway's claims

John Plunkett and Tom Service
Monday August 29, 2005
The Guardian

 

[HarrisonSlade]

I wonder what Galloway would think of Ian Paisley sending out murder squads to execute Rowan Atkinson for making Christ jokes. Would he have been asking for it to? Galloway is a throwaway MP who is only interested in the Middle East coz he gets free perks.

 

[butchersapron]

I wonder what Galloway would think of Ian Paisley sending out murder squads to execute Rowan Atkinson for making Christ jokes. Would he have been asking for it to? Galloway is a throwaway MP who is only interested in the Middle East coz he gets free perks.

Did paisley do this? Are you determined to get this site shut down?

 

[gurrier]

What a truely awful article. It manages to repeat all the worst attacks from the right albeit wrapped in liberal language. After a sop to the notion that not all muslims are reactionary tossers he says:Islam as exceptionally backward again.

It is in the sense that a lot of people take it seriously. Just like US christianity is going backwards. Many muslim societies are 'backward' in the sense that people take the religious stuff seriously and it dominates their lives. Some christian ones are similarly backward but it's nowhere near as common.

I really think that much of the hysterical reactions to people pointing out things that are obviously true to anybody who is familiar with these societies springs from a type of orientalism. If 'natives' were saying and doing the type of stuff that some of the fundies do (regarding women, homosexuality etc) you'd be picketing them. Instead you're getting hysterical for somebody even daring to say some obvious truths about them.

 

[gurrier]

"Midnight's Children" is one of the best books I've ever read. Reading it also made me reconsider my opinion of him as an ungrateful graceless bastard.

I agree. Top notch read.

 

[HarrisonSlade]

Did paisley do this? Are you determined to get this site shut down?

I was speaking hypo thetically. People do that on occasions. Please refrain from shit stirring in future.

 

[tbaldwin]

It is in the sense that a lot of people take it seriously. Just like US christianity is going backwards. Many muslim societies are 'backward' in the sense that people take the religious stuff seriously and it dominates their lives. Some christian ones are similarly backward but it's nowhere near as common.

I really think that much of the hysterical reactions to people pointing out things that are obviously true to anybody who is familiar with these societies springs from a type of orientalism. If 'natives' were saying and doing the type of stuff that some of the fundies do (regarding women, homosexuality etc) you'd be picketing them. Instead you're getting hysterical for somebody even daring to say some obvious truths about them.

Sadly sections of the left have moved towards embracing reactionaries who are homophobic,anti semitic and sexist.
It shows they can never ever be trusted.

 

[pilchardman]

He's a pretty shit novelist,

No he isn't. When he's on form he's stunning.

(It has to be said that when he isn't on form he sucks, but we should take the long view here).