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BPC Bulletin September 6, 2022

BPC Bulletin: The Assault on Salman Rushdie (Part 2: Commentary)

News Reports and Commentary Selected by Franklin Carter of the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee.


The attempted murder of Salman Rushdie, the internationally acclaimed author and defender of free expression, in Chautauqua, New York, on August 12, 2022, prompted writers around the world to comment.

COMMENTARY

Canadian

In The Peterborough Examiner, Rosemary Ganley comments:

Rosemary Ganley: Saluting Salman Rushdie and condemning theocracy | ThePeterboroughExaminer.com

In the Toronto Sun, Tarek Fatah comments:

FATAH: What has happened to Salman Rushdie? | Toronto Sun

In Buzzfeed News, Elamin Abdelmahmoud comments:

Growing Up, I Believed “The Satanic Verses” Was Dangerous (buzzfeednews.com)

Grace Westcott of PEN Canada comments:
An attack on one writer is an attack on us all – PEN Canada

The Writers’ Union of Canada comments:

Statement on Salman Rushdie | The Writers' Union of Canada (writersunion.ca)

In the National Post, Rex Murphy comments:
Rex Murphy: Trudeau, Biden won't name actual threat to Salman Rushdie | National Post

In the National Post, Adam Zivo comments:

Praise for Rushdie hollow in our censorship-mad society | National Post

In the National Post, Raheel Raza comments:

Raheel Raza: A satanic attack on freedom — Salman Rushdie remains a giant | National Post

American

In The New Yorker, David Remnick comments:

It’s Time for Salman Rushdie’s Nobel Prize | The New Yorker

In The Democrat and Chronicle, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York comments:

Salman Rushdie attack reminds that ideas trump violence: Kathy Hochul (democratandchronicle.com)

In The New Republic, Aaron R. Hanlon comments:

Cancel Culture Did Not Stab Salman Rushdie | The New Republic

In The Washington Post, Ron Charles comments:

Salman Rushdie and the death of safe spaces - The Washington Post

In The Atlantic, Graeme Wood comments:

Salman Rushdie and the Cult of Offense - The Atlantic

In The Atlantic, Gal Beckerman comments:

All Because Salman Rushdie Wrote a Book - The Atlantic

British

In The Conversation, Daniel O’Gorman comments:

Salman Rushdie’s attack was an assault on free speech – but not a clash of civilisations (theconversation.com)

In The Guardian, Nesrine Malik comments:

Admire Rushdie as a writer and a champion – but don’t forget he is a man of flesh and blood | Nesrine Malik | The Guardian

In The Spectator, Gavin Mortimer comments:

France's support of Rushdie puts Britain to shame | The Spectator

In the Daily Mail, Frank Furedi comments:

Frank Furedi: The reaction to the attempted murder of Salman Rushdie is astonishing  | Daily Mail Online

In City Journal, Theodore Dalrymple comments:

The Rushdie Attack | City Journal (city-journal.org)

Indian

In Firstpost, Utpal Kumar comments:

Salman Rushdie, Hadi Matar and the art of grievance making: How Islamists find a steadfast ally in liberals (firstpost.com)

In The Avenue Mail, M.R. Lalu comments:
Salman Rushdie attack: Religious disorder strikes again  | The Avenue Mail

At NDTV, Pavan K. Varma comments:
Opinion: Attack On Salman Rushdie Revives 'Freedom Of Expression' Debate (ndtv.com)

The Indian Express editorializes:

By bringing a knife to the battle of ideas, Salman Rushdie’s attacker ensures that the storyteller will continue to triumph in the land of silence | The Indian Express

In Firstpost, Abhijit Majumder comments:
Salman Rushdie attack: Why the world gives Islam such a long rope (firstpost.com)

Australian

In The Sydney Morning Herald, Julie Szego comments:
Salman Rushdie has shown what courage looks like, and its opposite too (smh.com.au)

BONUS POEM

Dissident Voice presents a poem by Bänoo Zan, an Iranian woman living in Canada:

The Poet and the Prophet | Dissident Voice


The Book and Periodical Council was formed in 1975 as the Book and Periodical Development Council to provide a venue for members to discuss industry issues, address mutual concerns and undertake projects for the benefit of Canadian writing and publishing.

BPC Bulletin
September 6, 2022
Related Issues
Censorship
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