Communalists revive Rushdie controversy yet again

By Dilip -
Union minister of state for tourism and Trinamul leader Sultan Ahmed said: “I feel it will be good to decline visa to an author who is known to hurt religious sentiments of Muslims. Given the prevailing atmosphere, he should not be given visa.” He added: “Both Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen have earned notoriety for making controversial and inflammatory remarks. Their presence is not desirable.” Ahmed said he endorsed the demand of the Islamic seminary, Dar-ul Uloom Deoband, that the Union government cancel Rushdie’s visa.

Rushdie’s novel, The Satanic Verses, was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1988 amid violent protests in several countries, including India. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had issued a fatwa against Rushdie on February 14, 1989, asking his followers to kill the author for allegedly committing blasphemy.

Rushdie had visited the Pink City literary event in January 2007, which was also an election year in Uttar Pradesh. His presence had either escaped the clergy’s notice or they chose not to make it an issue then. The growing profile of the event also may have unwittingly played a part in drawing more attention to the participants... The Congress said it was up to the government to decide on matters such as visa issuance. The government declined to comment. The home ministry, which handles the issue, is possibly waiting to gauge how much heat the issue generates before taking a decision.

In a statement, Dar-ul Uloom vice-chancellor Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani said the “Indian government should cancel his visa as Rushdie had annoyed the religious sentiments of Muslims in the past”. The cleric asked the Manmohan government to take into account the “widespread” feelings of Muslims against the author...
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120110/jsp/frontpage/story_14986343.jsp

NB: The demand for censoring and banning texts and the habit of indulging in and/or threatening violence on account of so-called 'hurt sentiments'  is a time-honoured tactic of communalists of all hues. It must be staunchly resisted - DS ‎


"With force I have subdued the brains of the proud" - Epitaph on the tomb of Cardinal Saint Roberto Bellarmino, Cardinal-Inquisitor who tried Galileo for heresy in 1633. Damn hurt sentiment. Long live blasphemy! DS

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