RUSHDIE- The Brave Knight?



By Majed Iqbal

Once again, discussions over freedom of speech have sparked off tensions in europe with the knighting of Salman Rushdie by the Queen last week. There have been protests internationally as well as critical debate at home in the UK on the rationale behind the controversial knighting.

Over the last year we have seen the cartoon outrage depicting the Prophet of islam in a negative light. The pope folowed by quoting from a centuries old Christian ruler who stated that the prophet of Islam had spread nothiong except evil. Charles clarke, former Home Secretary stated that Shariah rule in the Muslim world is unacceptable. Blair termed parts of Islam as an Evil Ideology. Jack straw orchestrated tensions by terming the Hijab as a sign of segregation and describing it as a barrier to communication.

And now............ in the name of contribution to literature, Salman Rushdie, Author of the book "Satanic Verses", which makes insulting insinuations about the prophet of islam and his wifes is celebrated on a state level and given a Royal honouring, endorsed by the british Government for his works.

All of these tensions have arisen in the midst of Government lectures given to the Muslim community in the UK about how they should feel a part of British society, integrate and work towards cohesion of communities. Minister after Minister as well as oppostion party members have continuously ruttled the same mantra, each time pointing the finger to the muslim community as probelmatic, not flexible and leading Parallel lives.

Once again, the Muslim community is being questioned on their "Tolerance levels". Rather than looking crtically at the event and its repercussions in relations in the UK, Secularism, the relegation of relgion to personal domains, is still being hailed as the key to success in forging a successful society where evryones rights are protected.

British Home Secretary John Reid alluded to this to an audience in New York that many Christians had been offended by Monty Python’s Life of Brian, while some Jewish people were offended by Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ;

"We have very strong laws about promoting racial tolerance. It isn’t a free-for-all. We’ve thought very carefully about it, but we have a right to express opinions and a tolerance of other people’s point of view, and we don’t apologize for that.”

The Muslim community remains confused. How serious is the government on Integration OR is this simply one of the exercises to mark how integrated we are; the benchmark being our ability to tolerate slingshots on Islam in the name of Freedom of speech. Surely that would mean were more tolerant, accepting, integrated and British. Doesn't it?