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Author Sir Salman Rushdie tells James Naughtie about what the protests across the Islamic world mean for freedom of speech elsewhere.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9752000/9752130.stm
If you gratuitously insult people in the name of free speech, don't be too surprised to get a bloody nose.
If your government thinks it is OK to gratuitously insult people in the name of free speech after your government had invaded their countries, then it shouldn't be too surprised to get a bloody nose.
The Western media has the prerogative of a whore - power without responsibility. The media will broadcast with glee all the outbreaks of violence against Western embassies in Muslim lands even as they know they will put the lives of Westerners living abroad in danger.
What can you expect to happen to a civilisation that is in thrall to the worst and most immoral of its women?
Quite right, Claire. Rushdie is a pretty offensive and arrogant creature in may opinion. He comes from an extremely elite background (his family is very well-heeled) was educated at Rugby and Cambridge, has written some appalling and largely unreadable books that go out of their way to offend people [Midnight's Children - Indians, Shame - Pakistanis, Satanic Verses - everybody, not least because it's very badly written]. He's not in a position to lecture anybody about anything, least of all getting angry.
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