An inspirational defender of persecuted writers
Writers say it’s not good to try to murder writers:
Fellow authors such as JK Rowling and Stephen King have written messages of support, calling the news “horrifying”.
Booker-prize winning author, Ian McEwan, called it an “appalling attack” that “represents an assault on freedom of thought and speech”.
“Salman has been an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world. He is a fiery and generous spirit, a man of immense talent and courage and he will not be deterred,” he added.
He was an absolute torch of a defender of the Charlie Hebdo people, which meant quarreling with some of his own friends, because they shamefully took the other side.
Afghan-American author, Khaled Hosseini, wrote: “I’m utterly horrified by the cowardly attack on Salman Rushdie. I pray for his recovery. He is an essential voice and cannot be silenced.”
Writer Taslima Nasreen, who was forced to flee her home in Bangladesh after a court said her novel Lajja offended Muslim’s religious faith, said she now feared for her own safety.
Not for the first time. I was at a CFI conference in 2015 when murderers were picking off prominent Bangladeshi atheists one by one, and Taslima was there too, and so was armed security. We were chatting outside on a terrace on the Saturday afternoon when her armed security came along to say she was the new armed security after a shift change and she’d be right over there. An unusual experience.
I have written several novels that have offended Christians. So far the only response I’ve gotten is that they refused to speak to me again. I can deal with that. No acid, no machetes, no stabbing.
I don’t think not speaking to someone again is the right way to deal with not liking someone’s novel, but it’s a damn sight better than hacking up the author.
In spite of that, I do still feel terror whenever someone I know to be devout picks up one of my more “offensive” works. After all, Christians don’t have such a great record either; I remember Bruno (not directly; I’m not that old). And everything seems to be regressing toward some sort of violent, oppressive, explosive singularity when religious people felt the only possible response to people not agreeing with them was murder.