We must not pander to the bully

The furore surrounding the knighthood awarded to 'Satanic Verses' author Salman Rushdie seems to be continuing apace with all the 'usual suspects' burning British flags and taking to the streets in loud and vociferous protest. Mufti Muhammad-Bashir-ud-in, head of Kashmir's Islamic Court, has demanded that Queen Elizabeth, the Prime Minister and the whole British establishment apologise to the Muslim world for this 'insult'. Good grief, whatever next? He'll be wanting Bono's autograph before long!

Last night I heard Baroness Shirley Williams, a woman for whom I have long had the greatest respect, argue that the knighthood was wrong because it was 'insensitive' and stirred up a lot of Muslim anger. Well I'm sorry Shirley but on this occasion I disagree completely.

Whether Rushdie's contribution to the literary world justified a knighthood is a matter of opinion. Some people say his books are impenetrable, others that his 'Midnight's Children' is one of the finest pieces of 20th century writing.



But that's not the point. The Honours Committee has made its decision and the one point to clarify is whether Rushdie was given the knighthood either because of 'Satanic Verses' and/or because someone in Whitehall wanted to provoke the Muslim world. Clearly, I believe, neither of these things is true.

So, assuming that knighthoods are given to those deemed worthy,whether we all agree with the judgment or not, the question is whether we should take the religious and cultural sensitivities of others into account before the award is made and my view is absolutely not.

If as a rational human being in the modern world you ask yourself who committed the greater sin, Rushdie for writing a book which mocked some of the beliefs of Islam, or the response it brought where a man was forced to live in fear for his life for over a decade, there can only be one answer. Yet Baroness Williams and many others seem prepared to continue pandering to these extremists.

I have no wish to upset Muslims, Buddhists, Jews or any other faith but neither am I prepared to stomach giving in to demands as soon as a few demonstrators scream slogans and burn British flags in Kashmir and other strongholds of Islamic fundamentalism. Books have been written in the past which have upset other religions. The Roman Catholic church was upset by 'The Da Vinci Code' and even more so by the book that spawned it,'The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail' and made many protests about the content of both.

The difference is that Torquemada and the Inquisition are no longer part of Catholic ideology. The Catholics are peaceful in their demands and thus can be ignored. Half the Islamic world is still living by 14th century codes but, with respect, that's their problem. If the Muslim world wishes to be treated with respect then it should respect the rights of others. As long as the extremists hold sway, burning flags and demanding hangings of people who have offended them, then I would suggest their demands be treated with the contempt they deserve.



Baroness Williams and others mean well but the more you pander to a bully, the louder and more offensive his demands become