Comments on: More Muslim reactions to Rushdie knightnood

By: Stuart

Stuart — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:33:41 +0000

Awarding you a knighthood is the UK establishment’s way of reminding you that you’re shit and your career is over.

What more do they want – fer feck’s sake?

By: Sargeist

Sargeist — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:31:58 +0000

What I find quite funny about political types is the following. If I (a non-politician) were to appear on news media saying “I hate n1ggers”, then people would look at my words and infer, reasonably enough, that I wasn’t fond of people whose skin is black. But, as a politician I am somehow permitted to rewind time and purge history, 1984-style, and say, “Ah, well, I need to ‘clarify’: when I said ‘I hate n1ggers’, what I actually meant was ‘Puppies are nice, and I love bunnies.’”

But what else would we expect from an Islamic Military Dictatorship. At least in this country I can go out on the streets and say “Muhammad blows goats” without being in (too much) fear of being executed.

By: Young Fogey

Young Fogey — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:29:27 +0000

Whilst I have no particular interest in Sir Salman’s novels I am pleased to see him honoured as his knighthood demonstrates that whilst honouring our own we will not be intimidated or influenced by outside political pressures.

It is of course ludicrous to claim that this honour is “an obvious example of fighting against Islam by high-ranking British officials.” Were this true we would not have seen a 2005 knighthood bestowed by The Queen upon Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, described by The Guardian as the “Most Influential Muslim in the UK”.

Rather than criticise the British government, Iran should congratulate Britain for having recently raised a number of British Muslims to the highest ranks of British Society as members of the House of Lords. These include Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, the first Muslim peer; Lord Patel of Blackburn, leader of the British Hajj Delegation; Baroness Falkner of Margravine; and Baroness Uddin of Bethnal Green. See my blog for more: http://www.bloggingyoungfogey.blogspot.com

By: Andy A

Andy A — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 17:08:20 +0000

Couldn’t agree more, Monitor. For the record, although I don’t know whether it’ll make it, I posted the following to the BBC PM programme’s blog (it’s at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/pm/, in case anyone else wants a go). I thougt Auntie was being a bit unfair.

Why is the BBC being partisan this evening? Why is the presenter of PM asking a Muslim peer whether it’s not time to ‘forgive and forget’ over Sir Salan Rushdie? The implication is that there is something to forgive. There is nothing to forgive. Just as they did with the Danish cartoons issue, Muslims are one again whining and bleating and threatening violence – and will no doubt soon be carrying it out – because of a perceived insult to a historical figure. Goodness, but religions are up there with all other public institutions to attract praise, criticism or ridicule, and it’s part of the free-speech ethos of this country – the UK – that this should be so. If people don’t like it, they can go to a country whose ethos is more to their liking, or just pipe down. British culture, British sense of fair play, British values – and among those values is a welcome to people of other ethnic groups, who are so quickly outstaying that welcome by bleating the way they do over something like religion, something that ought to be of hobby status.