Given today’s news from Lybia, the publication of this article by Salman Rushdie about the fatwa declared against him by the powerful Iranian Grand Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei in this week’s New Yorker seems eerily prescient. Then, after a moment of reflection, a much quieter thought passes that these tensions and crises are unfortunately much more common.
The article by Salman Rushdie is well worth the read, a personal history of the ideas behind “The Satanic Verses”, the book that earned him many distinctions, some certainly not worth having. The history and the background is merged with a thriller-like plot that doesn’t seem real, the author notes with heavy-hearted humor the differences between the reality of being in the center of an assassination plot and what we’re used to from reading or watching thrillers.
Comment by Anna on 6 December 2012:
Mr. Peter Kavanagh is appearing to be frinig a very lazy attack upon Yusuf Islam. Immediately a worldly person once know as (Cat Stevens), famous song writer and singer will always set THE CAT, amongst the Kavanagh’s'of this world. To throw out such comments under the cover as seen to be doing his duty for Australian citizens, by advising the immigration minister, Chris Evans, to monitor entry into Australia of Yusuf Islam. Balance your behaviour Mr. Kavanagh by having a good hard look at such a ridiculous emotional, irrational thinking, when representing the people of Australia. This is truly when I am concerned that such people are in politics. Any such thoughts of forgiveness and acceptance are just not in Mr Kavanagh’s vocabulary as of yet!I fear he only has pictures of Cat Stevens’ sailing through those touring times of the sixties’ and not conforming to so called grouped traditional beliefs and behaviours of christian or religious law. Trust we have all different ways of meeting at The Peace Train’, its 2010 now and I say welcome aboard Yusuf Islam, heres your ticket, APPROVED.My thoughts upon all written text regarding beliefs of exploring and learning and embracing religion or spiritual awareness and knowledge is ..Its not necessary how such preachings SAY. Its how it READS to us as individuals.
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