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:
In The Guardian, Nesrine Malik comments:
In The Spectator, Gavin Mortimer comments:
France's support of Rushdie puts Britain to shame | The Spectator
In the Daily Mail, Frank Furedi comments:
In City Journal, Theodore Dalrymple comments:
The Rushdie Attack | City Journal (city-journal.org)
Indian
In Firstpost, Utpal Kumar comments:
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:
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 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.
