Should England have Granted a knighthood to Salman Rushdie?

For Salman Rushdie not to be honored, would be an appalling sacrifice of freedom of speech to religious pressure and conformity to the status quo. I do not say Salman Rushdie should be honored because I am a particular fan of knighthoods, I am not. I would rather he received an independent award that has no connection to peerage.

But simply on the principle alone, that Rushdie should not be selected out and banned from receiving the prize because of pressure from mullahs in Iran, that would be abhorrent to me and any other right thinking individual who cares about freedom of speech.

There is something extremely obscene and stomach churning, about public intellectuals who refuse to jump off the fence and who keep apologizing to religious fundamentalists, against words that may offend their precious sensibilities. ...Their precious sensibilities be damned. No such sensibility should ever be allowed to override an individuals right to speak up.

There were a few politicians in the UK that didn't quite push it that far, such as Baroness Shirley Williams. ...Who, on a BBC1 political debate show called 'Question Time' - simply said: "The Timing was Wrong" for such an award because it may be "Offensive to Muslims". What a weaselly and pathetic comment. In other words, the offense of the Muslim community is more important than freedom of speech.

I totally disagree with Baroness Shirley Williams. The timing was absolutely right, for Salman Rushdie, a brave and honorable man, to receive this award.

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