Reading from the Satanic Verses in Jaipur (2012)
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On Friday, over lunch, I heard the news that Salman Rushdie would not be attending the Jaipur Literature Festival. His visit had been in doubt for some time. Initially, we had been scheduled to have a conversation on stage that afternoon, but since Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani, the head of the Darul Uloom seminary in Deoband, had called for him to be prevented from entering India, the festival organizers had been fighting a storm of manufactured controversy, not unconnected with the upcoming Uttar Pradesh state elections. Salman has been visiting India without incident for many years, and spoke at the JLF in 2007. Clearly, the sudden eruption of righteous indignation at his presence was not spontaneous. The manipulation of religious sentiment for political ends has a long history in India, and this was merely a particularly cynical example of a traditional election-time activity.
Initially, the directors of the JLF asked Salman to delay his arrival, while they worked with the authorities to provide security, and attempted to defuse a planned protest. Our Friday event was moved to Tuesday morning, and his name was removed from the festival program. Then came the news, apparently originating in police intelligence reports seen by the festival team, that three assassins had been despatched from Bombay with orders to murder him. Now there appears to be doubt about the veracity of these reports – Mumbai police deny that they communicated any such intelligence, and the Hindu newspaper has reported that the story of the assassins was concocted by the Rajasthani police. Whatever the truth of this, it was enough to prevent Salman from travelling to India.
Amitava Kumar and I were extremely angry. We felt that it was important to show support for Salman, who is often misrepresented and caricatured as a sort of folk-devil, by people who know little or nothing about his work. This situation has arisen in India at a time when free speech is under attack. Recent moves to institute ‘pre-screening’ of internet content, and knee-jerk bans of books such as Joseph Lelyveld’s masterly biography of Gandhi, show that these are not good times for those who wish to say unpopular things in the world’s largest democracy. We decided that we would use our afternoon session, in which Amitava was due to interview me about my novel, Gods Without Men, to highlight the situation. We decided (without consulting the festival organizers, or anyone else) that I would make a statement, and then we would quote from The Satanic Verses. We knew this little-read and much-burned book was banned in India, but it was our understanding that this meant it was a crime to publish, sell, or possess a copy. We knew it would be considered provocative to quote from it, but did not believe it was illegal. A pirated text exists on the internet, and we downloaded two passages, 179 and 208 words in length respectively. Our intention was not to offend anyone’s religious sensibilities, but to give a voice to a writer who had been silenced by a death threat. Reading from another one of his books would have been meaningless. The Satanic Verses was the cause of the trouble, so The Satanic Verses it would have to be. We did not choose passages which have been construed as blasphemous by Muslim opponents of the book – this would have been pointless, as these passages have overshadowed the rest of the content of the novel, which concerns the relationship between faith and doubt, and contains much that has nothing to do with religion whatsoever. We wanted to demystify the book. It is, after all, just a book. Not a bomb. Not a knife or a gun. Just a book.
To the audience in the Durbar Hall, which included my parents, my brother, and other relatives and friends, I read the following statement. It is a little rough, as it was written in haste:
Today, I am sad to say, is a bleak day for Indian literature. We heard earlier from Gurcharan Das, Alex Watson and Oscar Pujol about the place that doubt, dissent and argumentation held in the very origins of Indian thought [this is a reference to an earlier session, which dealt with scepticism in Vedic philosophy]. Today, one of India’s greatest novelists, Salman Rushdie – a writer whose work enshrines doubt as a necessary and valueable ethical position – has been prevented from addressing this festival by those whose certainty leads them to believe that they have the right to kill anyone who opposes them. This kind of blind, violent certainty is in opposition to everything the festival stands for – openness, intellectual growth and the free exchange of ideas. There are many rights for which we should fight, but the right to protection from offense is not one of them. Freedom of speech is a foundational freedom, on which all others depend. Freedom of speech means the freedom to say unpopular, even shocking things. Without it, writers can have little impact on the culture. Unless we come out strongly in support of Rushdie’s right to be here, and to speak to us, we might as well shut the doors of this hall and go home.
Then I read from the novel. I had already finished when Sanjoy Roy came to the side of the stage and told us that we shouldn’t continue. Amitava and I spoke for some time about the influence of Rushdie on my work, and of the themes of doubt and certainty in Gods Without Men. He then quoted the second excerpt, a description of what London might be like if it was ‘tropicalised’, one of many comic passages in The Satanic Verses which have no religious content. I would link here to the passages we read, which I maintain are absolutely inoffensive to even the most delicate religious sensibility, but given my current legal circumstances, this does not seem wise.
At the end of the session, I signed books. Quickly a mob scene developed as I was surrounded by journalists who wanted to know why Amitava and I had made our protest. Backstage, the festival organizers were upset. This was something about which they had no foreknowledge, and over which they had no control. The bad atmosphere was compounded by the news that, completely independently, two other writers, Jeet Thayil and Ruchir Joshi, had also read from The Satanic Verses. I was not present at that reading, and I’ll leave it to them to give an account of their actions and intentions.
News of the readings travelled fast. Sanjoy Roy was soon taking calls from clerics and politicians, including one from the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. The Jaipur Police Commissioner arrived, interviewed us briefly, and went away, apparently reassured that no law had in fact been broken. A lawyer appeared (the son-in-law of Namita Gokhle) who closeted himself with the festival organizers. He drafted a statement, which we were asked to sign, making clear that the festival was not responsible for our actions. It was left to my friend Sara Chamberlain to find someone to provide legal advice to me. This advice was blunt: I should leave India immediately, as otherwise I risked arrest and might well find myself unable to return home to New York until any resulting cases had been resolved. The festival organizers later informed me that they had been advised that it was unsafe for me to stay in Jaipur, and my continued presence at the festival would only inflame an already volatile situation. I consider William Dalrymple and Sanjoy Roy close friends, and I feel that they acted honorably in difficult circumstances which were not of their making. I am relieved that the JLF was not shut down, which appeared to be a possibility on Friday night.
I left Jaipur early on Saturday morning, and left India the same day. Throughout this, I have been accompanied by my fiancée, the novelist Katie Kitamura. Her name has not appeared in the newspapers, and because of my actions, she was denied her chance to speak at the festival. I am very grateful for her love and support, and that of my family.
I would like to reiterate that in taking this action I believed (and continue to believe) that I was not breaking the law, and had no interest in causing gratuitous offense. I apologise unreservedly to anyone who feels I have disrespected his or her faith. I refute absolutely the accusation of Asaduddin Owaisi, the Hyderabadi MP who has accused me of ‘Islam-bashing under the guise of liberalism’. I stand on my public record as a defender of the human rights of Muslims, notably my work for Moazzam Begg and other British Muslims detained without trial in Guantanamo Bay. To Mr Owaisi, and others who feel that the notion of ‘freedom of speech’ is just a tool of secular Western interests, a license to insult them, I say that the contrary is true. Freedom of speech is the sole guarantee of their right to be heard in our complex and plural global culture. It is the only way of asserting our common life across borders of race, class and religion. Just as I reach out my hand to Salman Rushdie, I do so to Mr Owaisi, and to Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani, whose seminary is, after all, called the ‘House of Knowledge’, in the hope that, as fellow believers in the vital importance of words, we can resolve our differences - or at least come to understand them correctly - through speech and writing, instead of violence and intimidation.
- Hari Kunzru 22nd January 2012
Posted on January 22nd, 2012
regret
Dear Mr. Kunzru,
I'm a great fan of your work and that of Rushdie, and I feel that what happened at JLF was very unfortunate though quite telling of how some parts of the Indian system operates. I blame the government, but also the JLF organisers who I felt should have preempted this and protected the writers, delegates and visitors from such needless drama.
That aside, I have a quick question for you. When you decided to read from the Satanic Verses as an act of defiance, were were aware, or so advised, that you could be arrested? Or was it more of an off the cuff decision?
Regards
Sach
legality
hi Sach
We took no advice before the reading - and we took the decision to read about an hour before we went on stage - but my assumption was that we were not breaking the law, and this turns out to be true. The Satanic Verses is not banned, as many of the fulminating commentators here and on twitter assume. It was banned *from being imported.*. However, despite the fact that what we did was perfectly legal, we are now (27th January) facing at least 7 complaints, alleging various public order offences. Basically the complainants appear to be saying that because they were outraged, and attempted to orchestrate disruption, this is somehow evidence of criminality on our part. No charges have yet been brought, and it is my hope that the police will see no reason to drag this on any further.
thank you
Thanks Hari. Like you, I hope the complaints aren't allowed to proceed further. Enough of this nonsense...
You may have taken wry comfort in the fact that a similar brouhaha erupted in the case of Jay Leno's joke about the Golden Temple. Though not at the same scale of disruption, it nevertheless strengthened the original hypothesis that this appeasement was all election-related. There are four states in the fray: UP, Uttarkhand, Punjab and Goa. I'm waiting with bated breath to see how the Goans get outraged.
All the best
Sach
Feel sorry
Manu Joseph said it well. "An Islamic cleric will say things, he is only doing his divinely ordained job. Without passing moral judgments, issuing sundry threats and stating his interpretation of texts, he is nothing, he has no place in this world, and for all this he endures the consequences of his action by being on the margins of a modern progressive country." But I wish to go one step beyond Manu's point. Is the Islamic theology so brittle that the only way to counter deviants, apostates and sundy other trouble makers is by threatening to liquidate them. And to make that threat stick, by actually carrying out the threat occaisionally?
Go Read The Book First
Well written Hari. I mean those who are insulting you in the comments, one question to them: Did you guys read the satanic verses before you talk or insult. That's actually the Book which fought for the immigrant (muslim population) in Britain already in 88 and of the mispolitics towards the Muslims and Indians in India. if only you guys could read... Rushdie was the only person at that time who said what was wrong. Had the world listened to him, Riots in England, France etc would not have happened. And India would have been different with all its multiculturalism issue. There is complaint about multiculturalism, but hey who said in 88 that Multiculturalism was dead? THose politicians? NO, Bollywood Actors, NO? The Western leaders, NO.
Well it was Rushdie again. Rushdie fought for the cause of the normal Indians and Muslims living in India, he asked questions about the plights that the average Indians were facing during the Indiara Gandhi reign, he brought the Bhopal tragedy and asked for answers, he asked questions about corruption (questions which no Politician / citizen wanted to hear and now they are asking the same thing again), he challenged the government on the destruction of the mosques. That's what he did. Read the book (it requires English to understand it though). So it would be great if all of you, who are criticising and hitting your chest as big supporter of religion and faith could read the book in order to understand that our reality and plight were given a scope in at least one BOOK. But alas!
Welcome to the club
It is not necessary for a someone to break a law (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2826248.ece) for him or her to be exposed to legal action or harassment in India. Any citizen can file a complaint against anyone in any jurisdiction on any number of grounds, and in most cases the courts will agree to hear it, setting up years of hearings and ever postponed decisions. This is what happened to Peter Heehs, the author of The Lives of Sri Aurobindo (Columbia University Press 2008), who has been harassed for more than three years by people making use of different courts in different states. So also Richard Gere, who faced charges for kissing on camera and will probably not be visiting India again, or the actress Kushboo who, after multiple cases, knows it is better not to speak her mind in public. Lelyveld was lucky - or protected by influential friends.
Much ado
What you did @ the JLF was a noble thing to do. I wonder how many of these hurt Muslims had actually read the book (or any of Rushdie's works)!!
Provocative
I am an Indian Muslim and I own a copy of the Satanic Verses. I have read many of Rushdie's books and I find his work very interesting. However, I found it unnecessary and provocative to read extracts of the book.
The Deoband has the "freedom of speech" to ask someone not to come, and so does Salman Rushdie has the right to come or not come. The Deoband did not hold a fast at Jantar Mantar for their demands, neither did Salman Rushdie.
Then why in Gods name you have issues. You having read the book was a clear sign of defying the Indian law and purposefully provoking the sentiments of the citizen of India. There is no pride in it. You are aware of the fact that you are guilty of the crime and that you can be punished by law, that is why you ran away the same day.
Bullshit. There is something
Bullshit.
There is something such as Civil Disobedience. Next day, Government will ban you from travelling to other part of the country. Then if you travel, you become a criminal in the face of law, but have you done something wrong?
The book should never have been banned in the first place. Silencing views itself is bad. He is not offending anyone, you choose to be offended that he does not agree with your beliefs.
There is lot of pride in doing the right thing. Just because there is a law doesn't make it wrong. The government has a history of doing idiotic actions to appease it's vote bank.
"purposefully provoking the sentiments of the citizen of India"? Please speak for yourself. Not everyone is offended by the book, only a small section of it and most of those who are offended choose to be offended and have never read the book.
Reading a book should not be crime, but government banning a book should be a crime. The government has no right to tell what we should read.
Cheers!!!
Cheers!!!
Much ado
It really was a noble thing to do. By the way how many of these " hurt Muslims" do you think had actaully read the book ??? Just asking.
One is here
I have read it and I know many more who have. And defying the law is no big accomplishment. Nobel? in wat context? D'uh!
Is banning a book a noble
Is banning a book a noble thing? What right has a government to tell what we should read and what not?
Reading a book is a big accomplishment. It's called civil disobedience. It is about defying the law to tell the government that I do not agree with your stupid actions of banning books just to appease those people who love to be offended but have never read the book
freedom
Dear Hari,
How wonderful. How absolutely wonderful. If every artist and every rational individual who believed in freedom had stood up for Hussain... things wouldn't have gotten to where they did..I hope this is not a flash in the pan.. and that every writer and non-writer will stand up for the fact that Rushdie has as much right to write what he wishes as we have to NOT read what offends us. Hindu-goddess or muslim prophet.. don't read it if it offends you.. there are others who are not offended.. and must be allowed the right to read the work. I've read only one of your books and have liked it..but now... I will read every single thing you ever write. Thank you.
nimi
Brave son, Brave Mama.
Have admired you ever since you stood up to the Daily Mail all those years ago and spoke out against their racist editorials which demonized immigrants, especially muslims, and turned down that book prize sponsored by that hostile paper.
Even tho' your mama is cursing you and raging, she should recognize she raised her son with similar passion and courage to speak out. It's so damn easy to say nothing and not make anyone uncomfortable.
Anyone familiar with you and your work knows you are intelligent and are not "publicity" seeking. That's a very silly assessment. You don't need publicity you have lots of readers. If anything you are a person who's actively worked to tackle Islamophobia. Equally you're not out to rile anybody up. I think this is a great and unfortunate misunderstanding. There are just times when one has to speak up. The real pity of all this is it's such a fine festival. Probably the best literary festival in the world and precisely the place where this things if they come up must be addressed.
Best to you and your family, A. (Another mother with a v feisty son)
Sad
When will religion stop interfering with our politics. And vice versa. You did what you thought was right. Only wish the festival organizers were better prepared to have Rushdie on video conference on day 1 rather than as an afterthought.
Well, hope you remain safe.
what courage?
when time came to take a stand for free speech, you chose the cowards way and ran away.
if i were you i would delete all the accolades written on this post, these should embarrass you.
Seriously now, was it worth it?
Kudos, now thousands of Indians such as myself will remember your name as that guy who stood up for somebody he wasn't really a huge fan of in the first place, and ended up appearing supportive of one of the most hateful and insulting works of 'literature' directed at a good percentage of Indians. There were thousands who didn't know you but are now going to remember you as that guy who couldn't resist this chance to attempt to become famous somehow and ended up being part of something so hated by Muslims.
You are somehow trying to justify your actions by cloaking them under the banner of freedom. But I'm sure you also realised that this work of Rushdie's wasnt some unbiased expression of art. It was pure unadulterated hatred mixed with some filler that would have helped sell it as a book and not as a death wish to millions of Muslims.
I can honestly say that I would have joined the whole of India and spat at a book (if such a book existed) that insulted the Bhagvat Gita in the manner that Rushdie is proud of. It's only a natural thing to do. My conscience tells me not to encourage perversion, hatred and bigotry. Surprising that yours didn't come to work.. Hope you are satisfied with the kind of fame you got.
You probably experienced some discomfort reading this letter. Now imagine how hurtful that book can be with its scathing insults and horrible stories. If an artist described his wish to express himself through carving out pieces of flesh from his neighbors would you support it? Or report this guy to the police? Rushdie knew that his writing was the emotional equivalent of things so horrible in nature. And you have stood in support of him. I just wish you could see the meaning of your actions, that you have stood supportive of bigotry and hate (and not really freedom of expression).
Hassan.
Spitting on books
Hassan, thanks for your comments. I hope you appreciate that my commitment to freedom of speech (which is sincere, and has nothing to do with a wish for publicity, which could be bought without bringing such trouble onto myself) means that I am publishing all the negative comments I receive on this blog, even those which are violent and abusive, rather than claiming insult and suppressing them. I assume, from the confident way in which you write about the content of The Satanic Verses, that you have read the book? You wouldn't be going by hearsay, would you? That would be very foolish.
Thanks, but would be kind if
Thanks, but would be kind if you could reply to what I wrote.
I haven't read it, but i have an idea of the content, its too shocking to go through. But frankly speaking, I wouldn't be too worried about appearing foolish in the company of people who stand up defending a bigot's hate book that is packaged as a form of 'expression'. And to achieve what?..
Anyway I have written everything i wanted to say in my initial comment.
So, yes, you're going on
So, yes, you're going on hearsay.
Thank you.
Dear Hari,
Thank you for your explanations. I've reblogged at fictionthatmatters.tumblr.com.
Kind regards,
Deji
Admirable and honourable - well done
Anyone with the slightest intelligence would believe an event such as the JLF was in honour of the great writers of this world such as Rushdie, and yourself in this case.
What you have done is wise, brave and worthy of full support.
Here's hoping the 'world's oldest democracy' finds its commonsense again, and allows such progressive actions to allow us all to find the ultimate peace we all deserve.
You need to be jailed!!!!
Why did you run away like a coward from the festival? What if i abuse you and your family including your mother father? Is it my freedom of speech? Do you and your cronies have a right to abuse and hurt the feelings of people? You have broken the law in India by reading from a banned book, do you think one must be jailed for breaking a law? Why did you run away from the festival? where was your bravery? or did you do it for publicity and as soon as you got the publicity you ran away or were told to leave disgracefully from the festival?
You have no right to hurt feeling of a section of a people under the garb of freedom of speech.
Mum!
Mum, honestly. Just pick up the phone. You're embarrassing me.
idiotic son
Son,
Come to senses before its too late....your freedom of speech stuff along with abuse will not work in India. You come to my country as a guest and insult us. You need to talk to your mum before i start abusing them under the garb of freedom of speech.
You should have listened to her long time go...Mr. Kanjarda!!!
Contradiction?
Since people do not have the right to freedom from offence, why apologise for offending anyone's faith? It is up to the individual to decide whether or not to take offence at a particular thing. It isn't something that the speaker should be expected to anticipate.
freedom of expression
if sombody fuck your mother and sister in words not by penis how you enjoy and published world wide what a great idea .....sal....rus...?
biology
I really don't think that's biologically possible, even with very long words.
kudos!
i was there when you and amitava read from the satanic verses and i wish to applaud you for it. i had been wondering about the consequences of your protest and i'm deeply saddened at what ensued. i am a huge fan of salman rushdie and had been eagerly looking forward to meeting him and hearing what he had to say at the jlf. needless to say, i was left disappointed. it is a shame and a source of great frustration that people in this country have no appreciation of what has been enshrined as a cornerstone of our nation's Constitution. I am perhaps one of the few indians who have had an opportunity to read the Satanic Verses. I found it no more and no less irreverent than the rest of his novels. it is a literary characteristic in his work, one that makes his books stand out from the rest. i may not be a muslim, but even when hindu fundamentalists take up arms against free expression, i seethe in rage. freedom of speech has become a farce in the india of today. for the sake of petty vote-bank politics, IN ANOTHER STATE!! we literature lovers had to be deprived of the chance to interact with an idol. you have had to bear the brunt of the protest, but i would like you to know that those on behalf of whom you guys staged it are not ungrateful. kudos for a really brave and gutsy act and hope you stand up not only for rushdie, but for the freedom of speech and expression everywhere. *thumbs up*
Great Work
Dear Mr. Kunzru,
You knew it was a banned book...yet you go on to read it publicly and then claim innocence and wonder if you have broken a law by reading it?
To top it all off, you've decided to flee the country, scared to face legal action!
Wonderful.
P.S : I read one of your books some time back and I thought it was pretty crappy. Now I know what kind of a person writes those books !
Mum, is that you? I wish
Mum, is that you? I wish you'd just phone instead of posting to my blog.
You wish
You wish I was your mom!
I don't need an immature and idiotic attention seeking twit who thinks reading from a banned book is pretty cool and makes him a rebel.
If anything, you should have stayed on in India and decided to face the legal consequences rather than run away to your pad in NYC and call every-third-person-on this-post your mommy.
Honestly, I really don't
Honestly, I really don't wish you were my mom.
So cowardly of Kunzru, Kumar
So cowardly of Kunzru, Kumar et al. You defy law of the land as a mark of protest& solidarity but then flee to escape the consequence. What a disgraceful and cheap act. Shameful.
The silver lining being that it aptly exposes the tenuous nature of the politics, morality and civil ethics of Kunzru et al.
Rajkamal
Self-serving twaddle
If you were really outraged, Mr Kunzru, why didn't you walk out? Couldn't resist the free publicity eh?
How incredibly
How incredibly courageous
You should be very, very proud of what you did in making a stand for free speech against ignorance and violence. The right to offend is an essential part of free speech. those who don't like the book have every right to be offended, but not to stop others reading the book or be violent towards them.
Dear Hari, There is
Dear Hari,
There is responsibility that comes with free speech. You,
by fleeing from a very noble act have in a way made it ignoble.
You should have stood your ground and not fled. A brave act was followed by one of cowardice.
That's why it is said that free speech is not free it is an act of great responsibility and courage. Its unfortunate you took its shallow meaning.
Hats off to you Mr. Kuzru
Hello Sir,
I deeply admire the sentiment expressed by you in the blog. Whether its the matter of Sulman Rushdie or M.F. Hussain, It is shame for Indian democracy and culture which has always preached tolerance. Freedom of expression is a sacred piller of modern democracy, it should not be curbed on the name of maintaining law and order. A person can indeed hurt our sentiment by writing derogatory about us but that should be countered by appropriate debate and medium, not by ban and violence. A person's view is an individual view and it doesn't make it a final view. What if Mr. Rushdie's writing truly hurt the sentiment, though i don't think it really does.Why we need to take his view into account if we disagree with him. We are free to express our self through the same medium as he.The politics of sentiment and mob feeling need to be curbed, its only hurling us back to the dark age.
just a thought
One should not forget that there is nothing in this world called ABSOLUTE DEMOCRACY or ABSOLUTE FREEDOM, otherwise there would have been no trial and cases for raping a woman, abusing her, no charges for murder and similarly no laws..!! So one should realise this, when someone abuses greats of history so called secular people call it freedom of expression and when someone support love and stand against these things he is called lunatic fundamentalist and hardliners and intolerant, why this hypocracy..!! I think the people who call themselves HINDU haven't read his book, salman rushdie in his book has abused ram and sita also, and if even after reading it they don't protest, that means they have no respect for their religion..!!
So glad you did what you did
Mr Kunzru, you made a really difficult but principled decision and I admire you for it. You're right. It had to be "Satanic Verses," and no other book of Rushdie's. It's really sad that it has come to this in India -- where books are being banned for political reasons in the name of religion. This is being done by fundamentalists of all stripes, Hindus included. People in India were not always filled with fear and filled with contempt for different ideas.
I would ask someone who feels hurt by a published book (or the reading of a passage from one) why they are so easily bruised. I don't mean that as a rhetorical question but really, why are you so shaken up and so fragile? Ignore books you don't like. I certainly do. Most people do. Instead, read books that capture your heart and your imagination. Just read, read, read. With any luck, your heart and imagination will grow and will feel secure and strong enough to tolerate the existence of books you may never like.
Thanks for doing what you did.
Dear "Ordinary Indian
Dear "Ordinary Indian Muslim",
I'd like to see you run out in the open and walk about freely if you were put in Rushdie's shoes. Such valour, my god... join the armed forces. Be courageous no?
Truth is all you do is sit in a dark corner of your dark room and write this rubbish regressive bullshit. Muslim or not, people are free to write whatever they want. Don't read it if it hurts your sentiments.
Ordinary Indian
how far removed is india from its own eternal wisdom
ego and emotional immaturity are all that's left
Ignorant and hungry for fame?????
Well, in today's world, people would do anything to get fame, I am NOT pointing it on YOU (admin) but on people who just choose the controversial topics so that they can be read and highlighted.
Unfortunately, India has a population problem, and believe me life is really cheap here...!!! So, if Rushdie gets killed in India, it's no surprise as India does not have a strong security system in place.
I am a muslim, (not an extremist), but, I would recommend everybody who is reading this post to go to YouTube and watch the videos where Rushdie has mocked at Quranic verses!!
The Satanic Verses? Apparently, it has been written as a literary novel, to be read as fiction, without implications for reality, intangible. In truth, however, it contains implicit suggestions which ridicule Islam, so that it may make a mockery of this great religion in real-life.
I am no enemy to Rushdie, it hardly matters to me what he writes, but, freedom of expression does not allow anybody to hurt sentiments of people who have religion as their number one priority in life...!
The government should not provide any security to people like him, as they should bring their own security. Though, there are flaws in every system, but, I always trust Indian Government as a citizen of my wonderful country.
So what if someone disagrees
So what if someone disagrees with your assertion than Islan is a great religion in real-life and find is just to be reverse - a bad religion. Are they free to hold that view? ABSOLUTELY!
So if you hold the view that the religion is bad, then can you criticize it as per the freedom of speech? YES!
That is what Salman Rushdie did. He exercised his freedom of speech to disagree that Islam is great and criticized what he doesn't like. What is wrong in it?
""freedom of expression does not allow anybody to hurt sentiments of people who have religion as their number one priority in life""
Belief in religion does not allow anyone to stop anyone from expressing their thoughts who have "freedom of expression" as number one priority in life
Extract
I wonder what would have happened if neither of you had said the extract you had just read was from The Satanic Verses. I'm guessing no one would have recognised where it was from and would have just listened to what you were reading.
I'm sorry all of you had to leave the festival. It's especially irnoic to know that a session titled The Listerature of Dissent went ahead the next day.
Sridala
You broke a law sir.
Namastey, As Salaam Aleikum, Sat Sri Akal, Wanakkam & Bienvenue.As an Indian and a staunch humanist, I must quote that at the center of non-violence stands the principle of love. Pardon the brevity & intrusion. I wrote the following statement in response . It is a little rough, as it was written in haste:Let's leave behind the spirit of anger and just sit and eat and talk together."Come Eat With Us". Firstly ,be willing to surrender your positions & see things from a different perspective. Forget about the fast lane.If you really want to fly, just harness your power to your passion. The greatest threat facing the world isn't freedom of speech, which people don't understand and can't articulate either.
Really unnerved to listen to a bunch of self-appointed moralists seems antithetical to what I thought any sane discourse or philosophy has or will ever espouse. Everyone at JLF are concerned about whats right, whats wrong. Where is nostalgia, love, romance, utopia.?Or am i being a tad Jingoistic? Are the organisers of 'JLF' so technologically retarded that they did not think of using video conferencing for Salman Rushdie?SalmanRushdie a marked man again?! Give it a rest! As an Indian, and a writer, I know that nationalism is a veritable 'Cul-De-Sac', nevertheless,I am a practising rationalist who opposes cultural relativism as applied by the West in the Middle East. What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence. Speaking of which, I don't mean to cast any aspersions on your character but can't help wonder aloud and ask you good sir, what according to your pragmatic sensibility and life aesthetic as a writer, more important to you? The reading of a banned book ? Which is a Non-Bailable offense. How did they let you go? You would much rather they compromise the security of the citizens of Jaipur?#"reality check". As a fellow writer, moreover as an Indian brother, I must candidly quote Martin Luther King Jr "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now". As someone who has suffered the indignity & embarrassment of being 'silenced', [Ref: We The People-NDTV, 30TH.NOV 2008, SIMI GAREWAL'S irresponsible remarks about the Pakistani flags and my strong yet dignified rebuttal, which was conveniently 'EDITED'in reruns]I can totally understand, appreciate and empathize with your situation. It takes tremendous courage, confidence & conviction to do what you did at the Jaipur Literature festival. Congrats More power to your pen, fire in your fingers & zest in your soul Kudos to you!While I salute you for the stand you took for free speech,frankly the book is crap,just much hype, very little substance. My grandfather was OUTRAGED by The Satanic Verses. Why? because it was unflattering to Mrs Thatcher. Freedom of speech is sacrosanct, doing what you did and thereafter discreetly leaving the festival is so 'METALLICA' of you & him. You had the freedom to stay & abide by the laws of the land, but what do you do instead? First you break the law and then you use pressure politics to escape it...TuTu! Seems like someone was late for ballet class...Not your faincee Ms.Katie Kitamura I hope? We Indians who continue to live here & face the consequences of your actions will prevail. Rest assured. We are a nation of 'Unity in Diversity' & moreover Adversity. Bet you know that better than anyone else. Perhaps may wish to reconsider your actions, lest history classify you as a law-breaking scoundrel & rogue. Freedom of expression does not mean turning a blind eye to religious sentiments. Points to ponder:#1.Shame of Salman Rushdie's Cancelled Visit Exposes the Sham of LitFest! If the Dignitaries , especially you,had any dignity, you would have Boycotted it en~masse. That would have shamed the government and the title sponsors, but of course you could not afford to do that could you? Whatwith one of the directors being the duaghter in Law of a certain minister, whose name I shall not bother to mention.But clearly you were waiting for an opportunity to [as Noam Chomsky puts it] 'Manufacture Consent' & would never have missed such an amazing opportunity to bask in the limelight of you own egoism... Fiancee Katie Kitamura be damned to ignominy. Certainly hope she is reading this and would love to hear what she has to say about this entire charade. Dumb? Methinks not!!! Watch this space. If you can't make yourself say who 'threatened' Salman Rushdie and who are the 'lunatic fringe' then you shouldn't be defending him.
#2.Evidently Salman Rushdie did not have the 'Singular Distinction'Here is a quote from the London Times: Rushdie's invitation to JLF "provoked protests from prominent Indian Muslims." Wrong - protests from two ill-informed clerics.This is my way of showing my disgust and indignation.
And while the literati is at it, dont forget Kannada writer P.V. Naarayana, Karnataka Sahitya Akademi awardee, also banned.Loving literature strictly within the four corners of any enclosure is like the diligent use of a prison library.
When you don't have a spine, it impacts the cognitive process.The good news? More people have more platforms to speak freely. As happened in Jaipur and continues to happened on twitter today.So finally no Salman Rushdie at the 'JLF' or as its now called the Jaipur Literary Fatwa.
One is about taking a stand on freedom of speech the other is whether that writing has any literary merit.
Maybe one day you'll understand that.
I don't have any proof about complicity but one of the JLF's director's daughters is married to Kapil Sibal's son.
If you didn't stand up for MF Husain's artistic freedom then u don't have the moral right to stand up for Salman Rushdie In any other part of the world, you would not be tweeting or blogging thereafter.Freedom of speech. Only in #OCCUPY India. Is it interesting or not that Michael Ondaatje appears to not have read Satanic Verses while at the Jaipur Lit Fest? Forget Oprah.Brain-washed by the bhai's in Bollywood, 'advised' as you so succinctly posted on your tweet I spose? No one's book should be banned, but the safety of people comes first, says @Oprah to CNN-IBN. The Jaipur Lit Fest sounds like Las Vegas. On steroids with Birkin Bags & Burberry scarves not to mention.Rushdie blocked, Kunzru chased out.The carnival & the circus are here, you are missing. The show has begun, folks, enjoy. For free popcorn, ask the libtards.Mullah power to the fore! From light unto darkness we shall recede.The barbarians have broken the gate. Thank you, libtards.Have fun.Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude. Latest..Say No To Uncle Sam's version of terror!Dear USA, UK and Israel. Don't go to war with Iran. In my name, or for any other reason.USA IRAN- WAR REALLY VIVID? OR USA COMMERCIALISING HER WATCH VENTURES! Want to know how to deal with Iran? Threaten to send the cast of The Jersey Shore to live there. Bam. Instant peace.” How to solve the Iran threat: send them our politicians instead of weapons.Cheers.Its harder to hit a moving target. Players keep it movin.POLITICS OF PENETRATION V/S THE EPISTOMOLOGY OF LOVE...THE DEBATE CONTINUES...Oprah comes to India. As a gesture we should send export Simi Grewal to the US. Permanently.Must be confusing for Oprah - coming from a land of white folk who vote a black President to a land of brown folk who apply Fair & Lovely.
Stop Press: Organizers of JLF still trying to resolve matter of reading of banned Salman Rushdie Satanic Verses - non-bailable offence #JLF rumor: "Oprah" is really Salman Rushdie, who will unzip his "Oprah" costume on stage and give everyone in the audience a car.Do we have any evidence that most Ron Paul supporters are indeed actual human beings and not Twitter algorithms?Thanks Oprah, Obama, Condeliza, Colin, Tiger, Magic, Jay, Parsons, Johnson, Chenault, Stevie, Simmons 4 living 2 B Kings.I think at next Jaipur Lit Fest, we will have Akon and Britney talking on the profoundity of lyrics. Special session on Chammak Challo.When Oprah Winfrey has the power to fire people she hasn't hired, l'll start taking her seriously. Until then, Donald Trump rules the world.I think that Trump's right, that Obama might start military action against Iran, shortly before the election. Last but not least,should you ever decide to visit Mumbai and do what your erstwhile predecessor Ms. Winfrey did, allow me to show you a neighbourhood that I grew up in. Dharavi, not Slumdog Millionaire...But Gazillionaire instead. Enjoy the recession. Peace Out!!!
Sorry to say Mr. Staunch
Sorry to say Mr. Staunch Humanist, but, that was a complete freakin' brain fart and the diarrhea of the mouth. Just pure waste!!!... sad!. but hey that is the beauty of living in a democracy, you are afforded that privilege and the freedom to express!!!
Good one!
Great Comment. Made me laugh in the midst of this serious business of free speech and death threats.
We'd almost given up.
We didn't expect a squeak from the authors at the JLF. You & Amitava Kumar rose like knights in shinning armor, at a time when the government seemed a little too enthusiastic about tossing precious freedoms into a dingy dungeon. That's quite the message you sent out. All we can do is thank you and wish you the very best, a million times over.
We hope your next trip to India isn't as 'eventful'. Good luck. Stay Awesome.
Manisha M
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