It’s too bad that some parts of the world don’t believe in free speech.
Salman Rushdie, an India-born writer, was scheduled to appear at the country’s largest literary festival, but canceled his appearance after receiving death threats that stem from his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses.
Some Muslims are still not over the book that sparked violent protests shortly after its release and earned the British citizen a death sentence in fatwa from Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The famed writer explained his predicament in a written statement, reading:
“I have now been informed by intelligence sources in Maharashtra and Rajasthan that paid assassins from the Mumbai underworld may be on their way to Jaipur to ‘eliminate’ me,” Rushdie said in a written statement. While I have some doubts about the accuracy of this intelligence, it would be irresponsible of me to come to the festival in such circumstances; irresponsible to my family, to the festival audience, and to my fellow writers. I will therefore not travel to Jaipur as planned.”
Other writers at the event were not happy to hear the news and read selections from the banned novel in protest. After two were asked to stop reading by organizers, two more authors did the same thing!
Right on!
Hopefully those men and women don’t get any death threats now, but we applaud their defiance! Everyone has a voice and everyone has a right to be heard — even if others don’t agree with their message!
[Image via WENN.]
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