Salman Rushdie Saturday night accused India’s government and some of its political leaders of cowardice over their failure to defend his and other artists’ freedom of expression in the face of protests by what he termed Muslim and Hindu extremists.
He also launched a withering attack on Imran Khan, the former Pakistan cricket captain-turned-politician who withdrew from a conference in New Delhi in protest at Salman’s appearance at the same event.
He said Imran Khan had lived a ‘playboy’ life as a young man, but had now “struck deals with the army and the Mullahs” in his quest for power in Pakistan. He was a “dictator in waiting”, he said.
Rushdie was speaking at a conclave of opinion formers organised by the leading Indian magazine group India Today, two months after he was forced to withdraw from the Jaipur Literature Festival following threats and protests from Muslims over his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses. He backed out after police and government officials warned him an assassination team had been dispatched to kill him.
Rushdie said India was in danger of losing essential freedoms because its leaders are not prepared to defend them. Some of India’s most senior government leaders, including the finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, and two of the country’s youngest chief ministers, Omar Abdullah of Jammu and Kashmir and Akhilesh Yadav of Uttar Pradesh, also pulled out of the conference. “They’re running away when no-one says boo. That’s what we used to call cowardice,” he said.
He dismissed claims that Western ideas of freedom of expression did not apply in India where violence between religious communities has claimed thousands of lives in the last two decades and said the country was in danger of crushing free speech in the name of religious tolerance.
People must be free to be rude about other people’s ideas and comments, he said. “The idea that we shouldn’t upset people is widely accepted in India..[but] who gives people who are upset the right to attack me? he asked.
Oh come on Sir Rushdie be reasonable! Mr Imran has been honest about his life and atoned. What you disclose is nothing new. What surprise me is your personal attack on him..He has exercised his right not to share the platform with you. He has not refused to listen to you! This is not the first time it has happened to you. I have read most of your books. I respect your opinion but that does not mean that i agree with them or come to dinner with you if invited,i hope not.! what do you expect the Indian govt. to do? The respected intellegentia were the first one in the whole world to warn that Satanic Verses was blasphemic. You don,t expect the poor tax payer to pay for your protection. Socrates died for his belief. Freedom of speech is relative.Only psychotic people believe otherwise. Well done Imran.
Freedom of Speech- No…Salman Rushdie- Never…Anti-Islam- Try them, don't let them escape so easily…Imran khan- Face of Modern, Taliban sympathetic, Moderate Islam. So, now, no one should oppose Islam…we are giving respect to your opinion but we will not dine with you…but you are not invited Mr.MM…don't consider us fool and most important don't make us fool…we know what lies beneath your skin…
We are moderate Muslims…Imran Khan is face of Moderate Islam…we hate Rushdie…Taslima and Rushdie should be tried for blasphemy…anything against Islam will not be bore by any Muslim…We are for freedom of speech but not against us…Islam is far more superior, not to be criticized by any individual…Islam Zindabad!
so, you are moderate…
Rushdie you are sinner
There is a difference between freedom-of-speech and crossing-the-line. You cannot just utter any nonsense in the name of FOS.
Rushdie must crawl back to his hole that he emerged from lest he is templed on.
At least I. Khan will be something. You are nothing rushdeeee. Not even a cretin.
Well said Rushdi, u r the icon of freedom of expression!
Rushdi buys you a dinner. Get drunk….
sulman Rushdie is not an intelligent person as he thinks, but he has collected of holy books and turned them with own devil thinking into different meanings and novels, changing the meaning of words in wrong way does not make a man wise, sulman Rushdie has been over appreciated by west media and thiests, he does not has any sense in his novel, he has immitated from GHani khan the great philosopher, khalil Gibran novels,and he has studied the stories and turned them with own meaning.
I think you have a very reasonable approach in discussing the issue…
Kill everybody who disagrees with you. Thats Islam.
Why dont you study history and let me know who was responsible for the Crusades? Who started world war 1 and world war 2? who attacked Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq? Which Muslim country in the last 100 years has attacked a non Muslim country? Idiots of your kind are devoid of any factual and logical sense
Ali you need not bother about such touts who would not waste a moment to talk foul.Pope Urban II was the biggest terrorist who released convicts and sent them to kill innocent Muslims, promising them Heaven in the afterlife.It is recorded history.
Rehne do Mr.Rushdi..we dun care about you and none of PTI supporters do..so please give us a break!!!
I don't take Rushdi as an important person. At the same time I also believe that Imran is military's man and given half a chance, he is a dictator in waiting…
blah blah ! so while Rushdie has the right to roam around with Padma Lakshmi, leave her when he gets "bored" of her & then opt for another town girl much younger than himself, IK, in his youth did an "offense" acting as a "playboy"!! This is all double standard!! This "personal" mud-slugging is good enough to show the real caliber of this pseudo intellectual !!
u moron ,do not talk trash about our leader Imran Khan , u r the worst person on this planet , a pharaoh of this age , n u knw why am i sayin this ,so keep ur ignorant opinion to urself ,may ur soul burn in hell.
Pakistani Politicians are all hypocrats , Imran is one of the newest in the gang . Some one must have tutored him to stay away from a conference in which Salman Rushdie happens to take part. If Imran believes in true democracy and respect for humanity than he should not have any reason for not sharing platform with another human being .
All i have read so far just confirms the general impressions about moslems KILL,KILL. We want clash of civilization and not a dialogue. Our prophet believed in dialogue.Perhaps i was taught wrong by a mullah.? Salman Rushdie laid a trap for us and we obliged him by getting trapped. As far as his contention that Imran is a dictator in waiting he must be a lousy one to wait over 15 years to build a party based on consnsus. Mr Rushdie you received the divine revelations of the wrong sort from the wrong sources.You did offer to apologise but did not want to let go off your money. I know you did not make much when you worked in karachi . You have a right to humiliate me but you cut no grass with me. My faith can withstand your attack. I remember when you wrote midnights children you attacked Mrs gandhi.She
wanted to sue you but listened to better advice and did not so. It is a grate tribute to her country that you were allowed to be participate in the litterature festival.
Enemy of our Enemy is Our Friend.
As much as you criticise imran, he will be more likeable for me.
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