Salman Rushdie stabbed on stage

[He's here!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-62524833

[Sir David Gray]

Doesn't sound good, he's been a wanted man for years and I suppose it was only a matter of time.

Hope he pulls through but being stabbed in the neck does sound quite ominous.

[He's here!]

Doesn't sound good, he's been a wanted man for years and I suppose it was only a matter of time.

Hope he pulls through but being stabbed in the neck does sound quite ominous.

I remember reading the Satanic Verses many years ago and while I was probably too young to properly appraise it (did it win the Booker? It was certainly shortlisted IIRC) what I do recall is being bamboozled as to why it would provoke such rage among certain fanatics that they deemed a death sentence the appropriate sanction. Mindless.

Thoughts, as they say, are with him.

[hibsbollah]

Horrific news. Depressing.

[He's here!]

On a ventilator, unable to speak and has lost an eye. Dreadful:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62528689

[Sir David Gray]

On a ventilator, unable to speak and has lost an eye. Dreadful:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62528689

I know it's usually not good to speculate about such incidents but I think in this instance it's fair to say that the perpetrator will be an Islamic extremist and this has happened all because of a book which was published 34 years ago.

I'm relieved that he still appears to be alive but clearly he is in a very bad way and will have suffered life changing injuries.

Absolutely sickening.

[He's here!]

I know it's usually not good to speculate about such incidents but I think in this instance it's fair to say that the perpetrator will be an Islamic extremist and this has happened all because of a book which was published 34 years ago.

I'm relieved that he still appears to be alive but clearly he is in a very bad way and will have suffered life changing injuries.

Absolutely sickening.

The presence of a doctor in the audience may have been crucial judging by the brutality of the incident. The members of the public who restrained the attacker were very brave.

I'm struggling to think of another occasion when there's been a murderous attack on somebody for writing a book. Russian Jews under Stalin maybe?

[hibsbollah]

The presence of a doctor in the audience may have been crucial judging by the brutality of the incident. The members of the public who restrained the attacker were very brave.

I'm struggling to think of another occasion when there's been a murderous attack on somebody for writing a book. Russian Jews under Stalin maybe?


Books, and writings which critique other writings, have indirectly killed literally Millions. The Bible, Maos Little Red Book, the Quran. It's kind of what the enlightenment was fighting back against..

[He's here!]

Books, and writings which critique other writings, have indirectly killed literally Millions. The Bible, Maos Little Red Book, the Quran. It's kind of what the enlightenment was fighting back against..

Indeed. I was referring, though, to direct attacks on literary writers. Plenty journalists have been assassinated but this seems a rarity.

I note the PEN freedom of expression body have said they can't think of any comparable incident on American soil.

[CropleyWasGod]

I remember reading the Satanic Verses many years ago and while I was probably too young to properly appraise it (did it win the Booker? It was certainly shortlisted IIRC) what I do recall is being bamboozled as to why it would provoke such rage among certain fanatics that they deemed a death sentence the appropriate sanction. Mindless.

Thoughts, as they say, are with him.

You're maybe thinking of Midnight's Children, which won the Booker Prize.

I really struggled with it. Started it 3 times, and only made it through out of bloody-mindedness. I just didn't get it

Others, though, loved it. Mark Thomas tweeted last night that it changed his life.

[Pretty Boy]

I read the Satanic Verses years ago and found it utterly bewildering. Both by the reaction to it from religious extremists (although as a non Muslim perhaps the nature of the blasphemy was lost on me) and just by the book in general, I found it a total slog and as good as gave up on it.

The whole fatwa situation felt like something from another era to me. The kind of thing that was a weird quirk of a different time. These events clearly show that isn't the case and yet again highlights the destructive nature of religion when it is *******ised by those seeking to control. A horrifically depressing event.

[Keith_M]

PB mentioned that the whole concept seems from a different time. But that's the whole issue, that a very large sub-group of a major religion are living in the middle ages.

Most western religions have been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern era (or at least very close) but many have a long way to go.

[neil7908]

You're maybe thinking of Midnight's Children, which won the Booker Prize.

I really struggled with it. Started it 3 times, and only made it through out of bloody-mindedness. I just didn't get it

Others, though, loved it. Mark Thomas tweeted last night that it changed his life.

I absolutely loved Midnights Children. I wouldn't say it changed my life but definitely one of the best examples of magical realism I've ever read. Far ahead of Gabriel Garcia Marquez

[hibsbollah]

I absolutely loved Midnights Children. I wouldn't say it changed my life but definitely one of the best examples of magical realism I've ever read. Far ahead of Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Wow, I love GGM, life changing stuff, and found Midnights Children a real slog. Opinions eh?

[LewysGot2]

I read the Satanic Verses years ago and found it utterly bewildering. Both by the reaction to it from religious extremists (although as a non Muslim perhaps the nature of the blasphemy was lost on me) and just by the book in general, I found it a total slog and as good as gave up on it.

The whole fatwa situation felt like something from another era to me. The kind of thing that was a weird quirk of a different time. These events clearly show that isn't the case and yet again highlights the destructive nature of religion when it is *******ised by those seeking to control. A horrifically depressing event.

The saddest thing is the person accused of it is only in their 30s. Not even old enough to have been influenced by supposed uproar at the time.

[lapsedhibee]

The saddest thing is the person accused of it is only in their 30s. Not even old enough to have been influenced by supposed uproar at the time.

24. Not even born.

[LewysGot2]

24. Not even born.

Ah, even worse. Must've misheard it as 34.

[He's here!]

You're maybe thinking of Midnight's Children, which won the Booker Prize.

I really struggled with it. Started it 3 times, and only made it through out of bloody-mindedness. I just didn't get it

Others, though, loved it. Mark Thomas tweeted last night that it changed his life.

Yes, think I attempted both books and found them a struggle.

Just checked and the Satanic Verses was shortlisted for the Booker. Also won the Whitbread.

Bookshops should flood their displays with Rushdie books in the wake of this.

[He's here!]

I absolutely loved Midnights Children. I wouldn't say it changed my life but definitely one of the best examples of magical realism I've ever read. Far ahead of Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Might give it another go.

The novel I recall struggling with more than any other was Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow. Again, a much lauded piece of work but it took me 20 years to read, comprising numerous false starts, several years of it sitting on the bookshelf abandoned (yet quietly taunting me), followed by a joyless, bloody minded slog to the finish.

I can barely recall a thing about it.

[He's here!]

https://news.sky.com/story/jk-rowling-working-with-police-over-death-threat-after-voicing-support-for-salman-rushdie-12672229

JK Rowling working with police after death threat for voicing support for Rushdie.

[He's here!]

Good to hear Rushdie has been taken off the ventilator.

Some of the footage from Iran of people lauding the would-be assassin is mind-boggling.

[Stairway 2 7]

Absolutely backwards brain washed loosers. We should just take the hit it would cause now and ban all religions. Wonder how many deaths can be attributed to religion

[superfurryhibby]

Wow, I love GGM, life changing stuff, and found Midnights Children a real slog. Opinions eh?

Imagine reading him in Spanish. Genius still shines with translation, but he would be even better if you could read the original.

I 've only read one book by Rushdie, Shalimar the Clown. Well written and it certainly captured the feel of Kashmiri life, but it wasn't up there with the greats of 20th century literature.

His stabbing is shocking. I hope he recovers as best he can from this trauma.

[Smartie]

Absolutely backwards brain washed loosers. We should just take the hit it would cause now and ban all religions. Wonder how many deaths can be attributed to religion

I suspect that would be quite a painful hit, with very serious consequences.

I'd rather ban violent mentalists.

[lapsedhibee]

I suspect that would be quite a painful hit, with very serious consequences.

I'd rather ban violent mentalists.

They're already banned, aren't they? :confused:

[hibsbollah]

There’s a very good programme on the iPlayer called 7 days in Summer, A countdown to Partition.

On this thread for two reasons; it’s a good to watch before trying to understand Rushdies midnight’s children, and it gives some historical background to Islamic fundamentalism. Lord Mountbatten staggering around drawing borders on a map and ripping Pakistan away from India in an apparent desperation to create an Asian South Africa???

If you know your history, etc.

[He's here!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62546469

The Iranian reaction. Basically Rushdie deserved it.

[lapsedhibee]

There’s a very good programme on the iPlayer called 7 days in Summer, A countdown to Partition.

On this thread for two reasons; it’s a good to watch before trying to understand Rushdies midnight’s children, and it gives some historical background to Islamic fundamentalism. Lord Mountbatten staggering around drawing borders on a map and ripping Pakistan away from India in an apparent desperation to create an Asian South Africa???

If you know your history, etc.

Saw a different documentary suggesting partition wasn't wanted by Mountbatten but by Jinna, who feared (in the aftermath of the European holocaust) that the Muslim minority in India was in danger of being exterminated. Will give '7 Days' a whirl now.

[hibsbollah]

Saw a different documentary suggesting partition wasn't wanted by Mountbatten but by Jinna, who feared (in the aftermath of the European holocaust) that the Muslim minority in India was in danger of being exterminated. Will give '7 Days' a whirl now.

Jinnah definitely wanted it, but Mountbatten and the British state were desperate to stick to the ridiculously rapid timetable for partition, even when it was apparent that the state was in no way ready to deal with the 14 or 15 MILLION refugees that were suddenly on the move. It was clear to MB what was going to happen. (well you're about the watch the programme so you'll see the argument made there).

[Stairway 2 7]

I disagree that you can blame liberals. But I disagree the fatwa on rushdie was like something from a different era. The power religions have over the uk in this era is mental

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/50179aa8-1b1e-11ed-98b9-ae8775f5f43c?shareToken=e0b242f2334f4fbecd67d3ecb7 fd8ad4

[hibsbollah]

I disagree that you can blame liberals. But I disagree the fatwa on rushdie was like something from a different era. The power religions have over the uk in this era is mental

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/50179aa8-1b1e-11ed-98b9-ae8775f5f43c?shareToken=e0b242f2334f4fbecd67d3ecb7 fd8ad4

I read it and thought it was nonsensical article. Ive read it twice and im not sure exactly which liberals he's talking about and what responsibility they bear.

[lapsedhibee]

I read it and thought it was nonsensical article. Ive read it twice and im not sure exactly which liberals he's talking about and what responsibility they bear.

Think he's talking about the too-easily offended and the scared-to-offend. People who walk out of Sadowitz shows?

[hibsbollah]

Think he's talking about the too-easily offended and the scared-to-offend. People who walk out of Sadowitz shows?

Im quite happy to agree with him that there are people who are too easily-offended. Extrapolating that into saying that they 'have been acting as defacto accomplices of the Ayatollah'?, maybe not so much.