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Freedom of Speech

Reader comment on item: Rushdie Fails to Move the Zealots
in response to reader comment: Resisting Islam

Submitted by Linda Haslam (United States), Apr 23, 2008 at 19:39

Freedom of Speech may not include the right to "libel or slander", but it does include the right to offend and the right to express our opinions no matter how ridiculous or offensive they may be. As you probably know, democracy cannot survive without freedom of speech. As a writer of fiction, Rushdie had every right to tell his story and title it however he chose. In my opinion, the most telling aspect of his entire allegory was Islam's response to it. If the Devil made him praise the three goddesses, how many other verses in the Koran came from the Devil??

You should also know that many people ( including me) would never have made the extra effort to get and read The Satanic Verses had it not been for the death fatwa; and to tell the truth, I did not realize the full significance of the allegory until I read Why I Am Not a Muslim by Ibn Warriq.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (15) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Rushidee [228 words]imdad aliApr 16, 2008 01:22125778
Won Magdi Lost Rushdie [319 words]MansoorApr 9, 2008 15:08125200
Daniel Pipes - ahead of his time [72 words]jennifer solisApr 7, 2008 23:12125024
muslim history nothing but questions [105 words]mz ravin blackApr 7, 2008 16:02124953
Muslim History [63 words]Linda HaslamApr 10, 2008 11:01124953
Rushidee [245 words]imdad aliApr 17, 2008 01:27124953
Satanic Verses [215 words]Linda HaslamApr 19, 2008 11:58124953
Rushidee [153 words]imdad aliApr 21, 2008 00:51124953
Enough about Islam? [81 words]Linda HaslamApr 22, 2008 11:29124953
Resisting Islam [204 words]Sufi imdad aliApr 23, 2008 02:19124953
Freedom of Speech [161 words]Linda HaslamApr 23, 2008 19:39124953
Rushidee [114 words]Sufi imdad aliApr 25, 2008 00:32124953
Condemned [116 words]Linda HaslamMay 1, 2008 10:47124953
I do not blame him [41 words]dhimmi no moreApr 7, 2008 07:06124909
Correct Prognosis [75 words]SinghaApr 7, 2008 03:21124896

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