Should Salman Rushdie have been knighted?

[abecedarian]

Really, the question whether Rushdie should be knighted is moot; it's a done deal. Whether he was a great choice or not, who knows. The nuts that are threatening violence are the ones who are wrong here. Choosing a person to honor should not depend on who will cause the least hassle. Perhaps that's one reason Rushdie was chosen, to speak up for free speech..

 

[Litany]

...............maybe you follow just enough to be able to use the word bigot in a sentence and get a round of applause from Stewart.

Maybe but it seems unlikely. My apparent infatuation only exists in your head I'm afraid. It's no secret that he's madly in love with me though.

 

[Stewart]

The Satanic Verses (1988), provoked violent reactions from Muslims in several countries, so did the cartoons.

For different reasons. The Satanic Verses caused controversy over the titular verses which were seen to question Muhammad's honour. The Danish cartoons depicted Muhammad which, in Islam, is forbidden.

It is a double standard to approve one and condemn the other.

Nobody can be accused of double standards. The Muslims condemn both, I heartily accept both. It should be noted, lest this be where your double standards argument is coming from, that the Danish illustrators are not actually eligible for a knighthood.

If we defend the right to print and publish a book in our country regardless of whether it will offend a certain religious group, then we must also have the right to publish a cartoon, make a film or what ever.

Indeed, Jyllands-Posten had the right to publish the cartoons and did so. Just as you can no doubt find The Satanic Verses on the shelves of all good Danish bookshops.

If you disapprove of the cartoons then it seems reasonable to disapprove of The Satanic Verses for the same reason.

As I said, those who disagreed (that would be Muslims) disagreed with both.

Knighthoods are given out like sweeties (we know all about cash for honours in the Labour party) and I see no reason why SR should have received one over and about many other writers, unless there were other reasons.

Cash for honours? Now you're mistaking knighthoods for peerages. As for reasons why Salman Rushdie should have received a knighthood over other writers, let's just think about it for a moment:

Firstly, the award is for "services to literature". That means it isn't just for The Satanic Verses, which seems to be the crux of your argument. He has written many other novels, including one for children, as well as non-fiction in the form of essay, critique, and travelogue. He also has a wide range of awards to his name, be they for a single work or lifetime achievement. And that his second novel, Midnight's Children should win the Booker of Booker's (best of the first 25 years of the Booker Prize) certainly sets in him good stead and proves that his literary contribution is of a higher pedigree. What other reasons could there possibly be for awarding someone who, for over thirty years, has produced a body of outstanding literature that will perhaps see him one day awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature?​

 

[Litany]

See what I mean? Totally hot for me.

 

[ylris611203]

For different reasons. The Satanic Verses caused controversy over the titular verses which were seen to question Muhammad's honour. The Danish cartoons depicted Muhammad which, in Islam, is forbidden.

As I said, they both offeneded.

Nobody can be accused of double standards. The Muslims condemn both, I heartily accept both. It should be noted, lest this be where your double standards argument is coming from, that the Danish illustrators are not actually eligible for a knighthood.

The double standards are; The Satanic Verses were published in the uk the cartoons were not. I'm not sure you are right about the Danish knighthood. Look at Bob Geldof.

Indeed, Jyllands-Posten had the right to publish the cartoons and did so. Just as you can no doubt find The Satanic Verses on the shelves of all good Danish bookshops.

Again the UK demonstrated a double standard by not publishing them; they even went further and condemned them.

As I said, those who disagreed (that would be Muslims) disagreed with both.

What about those that agree with both?

Cash for honours? Now you're mistaking knighthoods for peerages.:

No. I was just demonstration the Labour governments incompetence over peerages so we can't trust their judgement.

Firstly, the award is for "services to literature". That means it isn't just for The Satanic Verses, which seems to be the crux of your argument. He has written many other novels, including one for children, as well as non-fiction in the form of essay, critique, and travelogue. He also has a​

etc.
I could cut and paste many other authors work load.............what makes SR stand out?​

 

[SFG75]

Chris-You were in the wrong for mentioning Litany in post #13 of yours. None of the previous 12 posts were made by her. Yes, she did disagree with you in another thread, but that is that other thread. On that account, you are correct in being called out on it. I'd be very careful about dragging people into a conflict when they weren't in it in the first place.

What's with this fear of banning and thinking that one or two people are absolutely in charge? The group's judgment is very solid. I would put the shovel down now and stop digging. If you were going to be banned you would've noticed it by now. You have a long ways to go before that kind of thing is carried out. Only you will cause that.

Take my comments for what they are worth, I don't have a dog in this race. I do however, have the experience of seeing more than one newbie flame out due to their behavior.

Now for the TOPIC at hand.

Knighthood is reserved for "public service." I believe that his awards and honors prove that he is more than just a nominal writer.

From wiki

Awards that Rushdie has won include the following:

Booker Prize for Fiction
James Tait Black Memorial Prize (Fiction)
Arts Council Writers' Award
English-Speaking Union Award
Booker of Bookers or the best novel among the Booker Prize winners for Fiction
Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger
Whitbread Novel Award (twice)
Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Children's Fiction
Kurt Tucholsky Prize (Sweden)
Prix Colette (Switzerland)
State Prize for Literature (Austria)
Author of the Year (British Book Awards)
Author of the Year (Germany)
Mantua Prize (Italy)
Premio Grinzane Cavour (Italy)
Hutch Crossword Fiction Prize (India)
India Abroad Lifetime Achievement Award (USA)
Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Humanism (Harvard University)
Aristeion Prize (European Union)

As I stated previously, if knighthood is good for Mick and Elton, why not Rushdie?

 

[ylris611203]

Chris-You were in the wrong for mentioning Litany in post #13 of yours. None of the previous 12 posts were made by her. Yes, she did disagree with you in another thread, but that is that other thread. On that account, you are correct in being called out on it. I'd be very careful about dragging people into a conflict when they weren't in it in the first place.

I thinkthat you have missed the point, or you are preferring not to acknowledge it, I'm not sure which. I have twice been called a bigot by Litany and once by Stewart, a senior moderator who should know better. If they do not understand something they can ask. People have different points of view about topics; that’s the idea of discussion, not to name call when someone disagrees with your point of view......which has happened here. What do you think I should have done? Ignored it, responded to it or reported it?

What's with this fear of banning and thinking that one or two people are absolutely in charge? The group's judgment is very solid. I would put the shovel down now and stop digging. If you were going to be banned you would've noticed it by now. You have a long ways to go before that kind of thing is carried out. Only you will cause that.

...........fear of banning, I have no idea what you are talking about. You will have to explain.

Take my comments for what they are worth, I don't have a dog in this race. I do however, have the experience of seeing more than one newbie flame out due to their behavior.

Over one year and 200 posts and I'm still a newbie. Again I am not sure what you are trying to say here.............what behaviour?

Now for the TOPIC at hand.
Knighthood is reserved for "public service." I believe that his awards and honors prove that he is more than just a nominal writer.
As I stated previously, if knighthood is good for Mick and Elton, why not Rushdie?

That’s your opinion and I gave mine.

 

[SFG75]

Fair enough Chris, take issue with Litany in the other thread(s). This one was not an issue before you brought it up in post #13. As far as I can tell, that was the only "wrong" that you've done. I'm not certain how you are supposedly a racist, I usually don't attach that label to people who want immigration reform. I don't know, perhaps you should create a Maya Angelou thread or something. Nothing wrong with a debate, and nothing wrong with talking about underlying motives. I don't think you were egregiously attacked. You are defending yourself fine and everything is "in-bounds" as far as I can tell. Now if Stewart followed you outside of this mature forum area and continued the matter, then you'd have a case in point. The members here are very fair, if you are getting shafted, they will speak up. You have responded in a serious and mature manner, you have my respect for that.

 

[ylris611203]

Fair enough Chris, take issue with Litany in the other thread(s). This one was not an issue before you brought it up in post #13. As far as I can tell, that was the only "wrong" that you've done. I'm not certain how you are supposedly a racist, I usually don't attach that label to people who want immigration reform. I don't know, perhaps you should create a Maya Angelou thread or something. Nothing wrong with a debate, and nothing wrong with talking about underlying motives. I don't think you were egregiously attacked. You are defending yourself fine and everything is "in-bounds" as far as I can tell. Now if Stewart followed you outside of this mature forum area and continued the matter, then you'd have a case in point. The members here are very fair, if you are getting shafted, they will speak up. You have responded in a serious and mature manner, you have my respect for that.

Why do I feel that I have just been on trial and you have been the Judge, Jury and my solicitor all rolled into one and that I'm been given a very light sentence.

My views are much the same as most Conservatives in the UK. Ten years of Labour government and Tony Blair have turned us into a politically correct society. If we had talked, for example about boarder control a year ago the PC brigade would be out there shouting racist. But now that TB has gone Labour are waking up smelling and the coffee.........they are now suggesting such a thing.

 

[SFG75]

Why do I feel that I have just been on trial and you have been the Judge, Jury and my solicitor all rolled into one and that I'm been given a very light sentence.

Oh that's my official title here