Writers including Margaret Atwood, Ben Okri and Ian McEwan have spoken out after the attack in New York
Authors around the world have emphasised the importance of freedom of speech after the attack onRushdie, now 75, became a figurehead of free speech after his writings, particularly his novel The Satanic Verses, were considered by some Muslims to be blasphemous, leading to death threats in the 1980s as Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa that called for his death.
Freedom of expression was foremost among these. Once a yawn-making liberal platitude, this concept has now become a hot-button issue, since the extreme right has attempted to kidnap it in the service of libel, lies, and hatred, and the extreme left has tried to toss it out the window in the service of their version of earthly perfection. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to foresee many panel discussions on the subject, should we reach a moment in which rational debate is possible.
We already live in a climate in which it is increasingly harder to express oneself freely. Now, this attack on Salman Rushdie, which many of us have feared for more than 30 years, has made creativity a matter of life and death. The internet has unleashed the monsters of trolling and hate speech. Death threats are issued to celebrities and to ordinary citizens expressing themselves on any number of issues.
Satanic Verses certainly wouldn’t be [published]. There are a lot of fanatical religions in the world at the moment and no one knows where the greatest terror will come from next.
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