This time I agree

I  sometimes disagreed with this author but this time I agree.  Imagine that some country, say  China would  give a huge   honor to, say Michael Moore.  I bet we here in the US would cry wolf! And Homeland Security would be after him in arms.  At the same time what Moore had done is a petite thing, comparatively speaking- he never insulted  Christianity and/or even  the US   ' cult of Christianity'.  Rushdie did.   He had all the right to do so and he had to be protected  and not harmed but neither he nor  his  problem  should be used as a pawn in the political games.  Now he is being used as a pawn.

In all honesty the British knighthood is as disgustiing as many of its  recent recipients  ( I do not mean Rushdie here).   So, I guess Rushdie could just  say,' My dear brothers, let's hang those garments on the  hanger and get back to the real stuff.'

Again, I applaud Rushdie for his tenacity and  courage under fire but even such people like him can be used for bad purposes. This is exatly the case.

by Mark Sashine (46 articles, 19 quicklinks, 235 diaries, 3359 comments) on Friday, June 22, 2007 at 9:25:25 AM
 

Well deserved Knighthood

Rushdie is one of the most important and groundbreaking authors of the last 30 years. Of course, some people dont like his writing. Where is the author that EVERYONE likes? its upto the British government to honor whoever they please. In this case, a good choice was made (probably by accident, see the Guardian's coverage of the clueless honors committee).

People make too much of the so-called "offended muslims". Offended muslims are trotted out by various parties (like Dick Cheney's favorite dictator in Pakistan) whenever it suits them. The way to stop this scam is to ignore them, not to feed them by jumping ten steps back anytime someone claims to be an offended muslim.

by omarali50 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Friday, June 22, 2007 at 9:42:41 AM
 

I am sorry but it is not so simple

An 'offended Serb' Gavrilo Princip killed in 1914 the Archduke Ferdinand and WWI started.  Of course, someone used that as a reason but it did happen.  We sit on a tinderbox.  And if there will be more deaths among Moslems and non- Moslems because of that act -those deaths would be on the hands of those who deliberately and with malice used the situation. Of course, there are manipulators on all sides. But  that's where wisdom and timing are essential, I would say.

by Mark Sashine (46 articles, 19 quicklinks, 235 diaries, 3359 comments) on Friday, June 22, 2007 at 9:55:25 AM
 

Satisfy everyone or business as normal

"How can we push towards peace with the Islamic world, in an evironment when Britain is giving a national award from the Queen to Salman Rushdie?" We can proceed with what has worked in the past. The Islamic world has prefered a tribal society of one strong opinion upheld by force. Democracy exists with a diversity of opinion. The Islamic world insists that diversity should not manifest. Democracy counters with business as usual. Islamic society reacts to with force, threat of force and civil war. Democracy counter-reacts with business as usual.  If you wish to be told what to think, then tribal living is for you.

by Terryeo (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 3 comments) on Friday, June 22, 2007 at 11:14:44 AM
 

Salman Rushtie article

I would like to correct your statement that the British government gave a knighthood to "the founder of the Baha'i Faith." The Founder of the Baha'i Faith is Baha'u'llah, a Persian by birth and a prisoner of the Ottoman Government in Akko a city across the bay from Haifa.
The knighthood was given to his, Baha'u'llah's, son Abdu'l-Baha for his humanitarian work feeding the people of Haifa when the city was cut off during the 1st World War. Abdu'l-Baha never used the title and only accepted out of respect to the British government.

by Marilyn Boesch (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Friday, June 22, 2007 at 10:20:40 PM
 

You are funny, very funny

Oh, I can name a few who were knighted who spent their lives attacking Christianity such as Betrand Russell. I can even name Bishops who attacked Christianity and their books such as John A. T.Robinson's "Honest to God."

I can name plays and musical by those attacking Christianity such as the one written by two Jewish atheists, "Jesus Christ! Super Star!" which portrayed Jesus as having an affair with Mary from Magdala. I could go and on and on and on. Surely you are jesting. There are thousands of these attacking Christianity.

Go to Hyde Park in London and listen to the open forums of Muslim clerics attacking Christianity without ever a threat of violence on them.

Let me give you a very crude and course proposition:

Let a speaker on a national televison say that Jesus of Nazareth was as son of a bitch and the illegitimate son of Mary.

You will hear nothing. It would not even be noted.

Let a speaker say Mohammed is  a son of bitch and the illegitimate son of Miriam.

There would be a furor heard on every television set in the world, there would be fatwah issued promising seventy-two virgins for eternity in Paradise to any Muslim who killed him.

If you do not believe me: Rusdie had to go in hiding in fear for his life and the Muslim world was silent as these death threats were made. So mainline Islam agreed just by their silence.

Check with the Danes about the cartoons picturing Mohammed with bombs in his bonnet.

Surely, you write this article tongue in cheek.

by pratliff94 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 948 comments) on Monday, June 25, 2007 at 8:24:08 AM