This is a guest post by Candice Holdsworth
As part of its annual Banned Books awareness week, the American Library Association this week held a number of events promoting the right to free expression within the literary arts. Looking through the list of Frequently Challenged Books, it would seem that even in the 21st century, in seemingly liberal societies, intolerance remains prevalent and many authors are still threatened with censorship of their work, particularly if it is deemed “offensive” by those with partisan perspectives.
(more…)
On 14 February 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran declared a death sentence on novelist Salman Rushdie after the publication of The Satanic Verses. Twenty years on Lisa Appignanesi, recalls how a ground-breaking, visionary novel was hijacked and transformed into an international political cause
Plus: Bernard-Henri Lévy says the fatwa marked a retreat from tolerance
Kenan Malik on why Rushdie’s critics won the war
Peter Mayer on how Penguin faced down the threats
Malise Ruthven describes a political storm
Salil Tripathi says religious offence stifles debate
(more…)
In February 1989, five months after the publication of The Satanic Verses, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against its author Salman Rushdie. It is often seen as a pivotal moment in shaping the landscape of contemporary Western society. So, 20 years on, what is the legacy of the most famous free speech controversy of modern times?
(more…)