A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Why a knighthood? Why now ? :confused:

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

First I've heard of him. What use has he gave England? Sounds like a pointless person to give knighthood to.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

IMO, a lot of people who recieve knighthoods, MBEs, OBEs and CBEs are of little use to England.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

This was a highly tactless decision IMO.

It's not necessary to honour him. So why do it when it's bound to upset so?

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Could be argued the other way, that why should Pakistan and other Muslims around the world dictate to us whom of our citizens we can honour and whom we can't?

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Actually, Giles Brandreith made some interesting comments about all these awards (MBE, CBE etc) on Room 101 a while back. Basically, the practical upshot was that he considers the whole thing to be a waste of time, and is basically a case of knowing the right people.

And, yes, he was on the selection committee during the 80s, so should know what he is talking about.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

The whole system is pointless, and most are underserving. But if it has been decided that he is going to receive one then so be it. The decision certainly should be influenced by others.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

After all, how many Sports Stars or Actors actually benefit the country? Sure, they often do by providing Entertainment, but is this more important than (say) a fireman who saves lives for a living, yet doesn't get (or expect) an M/O/CBE?

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Agree but still don't see why Rushdie has been awarded anything and think the timing is very dubious. Having said that, I reckon many of the people who come up with these nominations (for cash or not lol) must need their heads tested.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Totally agree - however it appears that they can and do dictate.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Why should we dictate who is alowed to have nuclear power and who can't? Thats putting it on a different level but It all comes down to common sense. And this can be reflected on various other instances.
They felt offended, so be it.
The issue is really abt the worth of such honours! And IMO it's worthless if anyone and everyone seems to be getting it!

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

My thoughts entirely. Especially as a lot of people get an award for doing the job that they get paid for. Whats so special about that, theyre being paid anyway!!

---------- Post added at 13:18 ---------- Previous post was at 13:13 ----------

A bit off topic but define common sense from a global perspective.

People in this country often dont think people in the middle east have common sense and hence the iran nuclear concerns. However i agree why shouldnt they be allowed when other nations are allowed and its the so called "allowed" nations trying to stop others from catching up.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

We don't. The UN does. Well, the UN does but noone takes any notice anyway. North Korea and Iran will soon be nuclear weapon holders whether we like it or not.

Anyway, the award is only as good as the receipient. Some are deserving, some aren't. He's a successful writer who has lived under constant threat of death standing by his right to freedom of speech. Not an easy or weak thing to do. I'm not saying he deserves a knighthood, but some would argue he does.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I really don't see what it's got to do with Muslims. Seems like they do get offended after all.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I wonder if the whole UK will get a fatwa blessing our execution now? Or just the selection committee members. Or maybe the Queen?

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

How many of us get personally offended when Kim Jong Ill parades his staving people through the streets to celebrate his birthday?

Certainly not enough to issue a fatwa!

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

He did win the 'best book to win a Booker award' with Midnights Children, that is some achievement and it must put him up there with our best authors

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

So far as I can see Rushdie's outstanding contribution to the UK has been to the tax payers' bill.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Maybe they did it now, in the hope it would avoid the mess its created. They might have thought time had healed the wounds.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Or to re-open them?

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

There's been many a serious conflict around the globe which has had its roots in events many decades and even centuries ago. Given recent events appertaining to the Moslem world, I can't understand why anyone anywhere would think any wounds had been healed and I don't think many of us are going to be around when/if it happens.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6766569.stm :erm: Trouble in South Asia over it? :rolleyes:

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I know, these religious types, getting all uppety about blasphemy, as though their religion or deity isn't strong enough to put up with the odd negative comment here and there.
Next you'll get some religious person complaining because you have a low opinion of their deity due to what's written about them in their religious texts, and you'd quite happily punch them in the bracket if he popped up today, simply because of the attrocities they've reportedly comitted.
Tsk where do these people get off eh?

Personally, if someone's faith isn't enough to tollerate another's opinion of that faith, then they need to ask themselves why, what's the weakness in their religion or deity, not start burning effigies or calling for people's deaths.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Agreed, and when they claim it's "islamaphobia" by the government they lose a lot of credability.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Definitely.
They're using it as an excuse really aren't they?
Justification of their apparent dislike of the West and Shaitan.
Like I said, rather than condemning others and demanding that his Knighthood be revoked, perhaps they should look into why what he wrote is actually bad, after all, not even Khommeni read the Satanic Verses, and he issued the fatwa!

It's like the Danish cartoons.
The issue wasn't the cartoons, it was the dossier that some Islimists took round the middle east which they'd put together to suggest that the west was mocking mohammed, suggesting he was a pig, and a demonic paedophile.
The cartoons themselves were extremely tame in comparison with the Islamists dodgy dossier.
Of course, in the West, we only heard it was objections to the cartoons, which understandably people went "You what? They're only cartoons!" whereas if they'd been shown the contents of the dossier, I think most people would be alarmed and shocked at it's claims, and understanding of the reaction from the middle east.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I can't explain it, but is it just me that really wants to punch Rushdie in the face everytime I see his picture?

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2007/06/9.jpg

I can't explain it :shrug:

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I can :D

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

That's because you're baldist, this is a classic case of baldaphobia, something I take great offence at.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Totally agree, think I'm going to report that post for you Russ, it's disgusting how slapheads like yourself are treated ;)

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Its the same with Ken Livingston too...

He's bald as well come to think of it :erm:

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

spot on...

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Seems to me to be a provocative and insensitive move by Her Majesty's Government.

I thought we were trying to stop attacks not provoke them.

Actions like this will leave law-abiding Muslims aggrieved and will project the message that the British people condone what he says.

If we are not careful these constant attacks on the Islamic faith will provoke more bloodshed which is totally avoidable.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

funnily enough i was reading about that today - http://bibelen.blogspot.com/2006/01/imams-showed-pedophile-mohamed.html ;)

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

This is not an "attack on the Islamic faith" at all. Why should Muslims have any influence over who gets these honours? Why should any religious group make thinly-disguised threats against the establishment over this?

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Well from what I've seen/heard so far the media have been at it again and exaggerated the ill feeling being expressed on the streets in places like Pakistan. Whilst it was very unwise of the Pakistani politician to make the comments he did, I really don't think he represents the views of most Moslems there or anywhere else.

Cast your mind back to the Shilpa Shetty debacle and you may recall numerous stories of angry mass demonstrations on the street of India. The only footage I saw, however, showed a mob of about 100 protesting.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

He deserves his K.

After all, he has been pulling top class birds week after week the last few years ;)
He attracts birds in London literary review parties like a magnet, with such a face!!:confused:

His trophy wife is top draw too

http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi.htm

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

maybe he's good with his K***:D

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

:LOL:

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Well I'm glad this guy got a gong:

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/pol...cle2114492.ece



:rolleyes:

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

You know, when I just looked on the Cableforum front page, I saw

I thought it was referring to Salma Hayek..

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Apparently according to a brief newsflash I just caught part of, a Moslem group in Pakistan ?? has just awarded Osama Bin Laden their highest honour in retaliation for Rushdie's gong. Apparently they feel the 'crimes' of these individuals are equal - Rushdie writes a boring, blasphemous book and Bin Laden masterminds the slaughter of thousands of people :confused:

Just found the story:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...5-1702,00.html

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Wow, writing a book which mocks Khomeni compares with the deaths of thousands of people?
Ok...

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

the US wont like that :(

cant see how this is supposed to affect us... our terrorists are home grown

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I suppose that passes for maturity over there.

I could give the article a good Fisking, but in all honesty, I don't want a fatwah calling for my death either. Best to just let them get on with it, and hope they don't kill too many people over it.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

It's a traditional cottage industry

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I couldn't agree more! :D :tu:

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I went to school with some one who died on 9/11, just because it happened in America doesn't mean Britain and dozens of other countries weren't affected

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I dont get the uproar from British people over this, for all the amount of stupid honors that get awarded why cant some who wrote two, well-reviewed and respected, books get one?

Also, Reaction from idiots across the world who think awarding a mass-murderer is equal to someone writing something offensive in a book should not be taken into account.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Oh yes they should, when the very notion of a connection desecrates the memory of those who died.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Sorry, Not sure I got that. But the reaction of those people in the middle east should not effect who we give honors too. There is no connection between rushdie getting a honor and that they did with Osama, they just chose to do it to cause offence.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

I say we should not forget they chose this tit-for-tat gesture and thereby considering honouring a mass murderer to be equal retaliation for giving Rushdie a knighthood.

This at least shows what sort of people they are.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Oh ok. I thought you meant we shouldn't give the honor because of it.

Actually, I think ignoring what is a childish and insulting gesture is the right thing to do. They want to honor a mass-killer to offend us, we just show them that we dont care what they say or do. Unlike them we're got going to cause a fuss or anything like that. We just get on with it and make them look like idiots.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Unfortunately the good old British sportsmanship attitude will do nothing other than make us look impotent. Whatever we do, we should NOT back down from Rushdie getting this honour.

Re: A knighthood for Salman Rushdie?
 

Well yeah. :tu: