Salman Rushdie attacked on stage in New York

[story]

Well “jus bantz” is the last redoubt of the fool with no conscience .

 

[Spymaster]

It must be 20 years since I read The Satanic Verses, and I’m sure I’d have a more nuanced view of it these days. However, my memory is of being somewhat confused at the end as to what it was that had supposedly been so offensive. I’d recently read a few books like Last Exit To Brooklyn that had way more potentially explosive things in them, and dating from earlier, stricter eras to boot. By contrast, I didn’t get what it was in Satanic Verses that was causing the problem.

I tried to read it at the time and found it completely impenetrable, but my kind of novelists are John le Carre, and Len Deighton, so I guess that's not entirely surprising. However, Mrs Spy, who is far cleverer and better read than me, did read it and didn't like it either.

I did research why some Muslims found it offensive though, and it was always going to piss-off certain sections. Rushdie knew that at the time and I've never been able to decide whether writing it was brave or stupid. I'm actually surprised he made it this far without being attacked by some other fucking nut.

I've met Salman Rushdie, and got kicked out of an event by his bodyguards. Posted about it here.

Hope he makes it.

 

[rubbershoes]

It must be 20 years since I read The Satanic Verses, and I’m sure I’d have a more nuanced view of it these days. However, my memory is of being somewhat confused at the end as to what it was that had supposedly been so offensive. I’d recently read a few books like Last Exit To Brooklyn that had way more potentially explosive things in them, and dating from earlier, stricter eras to boot. By contrast, I didn’t get what it was in Satanic Verses that was causing the problem.

You need some demagogues whipping you into a fury about Last Exit to Brooklyn

 

[Ted Striker]

.

 

[Karl Masks]

didn't look like bantz

Warning Is Broken

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I did research why some Muslims found it offensive though, and it was always going to piss-off certain sections. Rushdie knew that at the time and I've never been able to decide whether writing it was brave or stupid. I'm actually surprised he made it this far without being attacked by some other fucking nut.

He was surprised by the reaction, so I'm not sure he did really know that at the time. Certainly not to the extent that it happened.

I would count the way he has dealt with it as brave. Whether he was stupid not to have anticipated the trouble, I don't know. My guess would be that he simply considered it necessary to write the book that way and didn't self-censor in order not to offend nutjobs. Nowadays, of course, in the wake of this affair, people do self-censor in order not to offend nutjobs. It's a sorry state of affairs, and I'll come down on the 'brave' side of any Rushdie argument. He deserves at least that.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

It must be 20 years since I read The Satanic Verses, and I’m sure I’d have a more nuanced view of it these days. However, my memory is of being somewhat confused at the end as to what it was that had supposedly been so offensive. I’d recently read a few books like Last Exit To Brooklyn that had way more potentially explosive things in them, and dating from earlier, stricter eras to boot. By contrast, I didn’t get what it was in Satanic Verses that was causing the problem.

I don't think there are any deep actual reasons for the offence. It came to symbolise something, the idea that Islam must not be insulted, and a very clear idea about who it is that decides when an insult has happened. Honestly, I think if exactly the same book had had a different title, it would probably have caused much less of a stink. The objections to it are that shallow.

 

[weltweit]

What does it mean that the nerves in one arm have been severed?

Does it mean that he will lose the use of that arm?

 

[cesare]

I don't think there are any deep actual reasons for the offence. It came to symbolise something, the idea that Islam must not be insulted, and a very clear idea about who it is that decides when an insult has happened. Honestly, I think if exactly the same book had had a different title, it would probably have caused much less of a stink. The objections to it are that shallow.

I thought it was the revisionist history of how Islam started that pissed them off?

 

[Johnny Vodka]

What, for attempted (thus far) murder? The max sentence in ny is 25 years.

Then there's the thought that someone might pay him a bounty.

 

[Pickman's model]

Then there's the thought that someone might pay him a bounty.

Maybe even a snickers

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I thought it was the revisionist history of how Islam started that pissed them off?

In a work of magical realism fiction. Lots of stuff happens in Rushdie novels that is not intended to be taken literally.

There are very nasty power dynamics behind the objections. We (self-appointed guardians of the faith) own this story. You're not allowed to play around with it in any way that we don't approve of.

That's where the likes of Le Carré got it badly wrong. iirc he spoke of 'great religions' and how we need to be careful around them. That's exactly the opposite of what I think. The so-called 'great religions' are the ones that most need to be challenged.

 

[story]

What does it mean that the nerves in one arm have been severed?

Does it mean that he will lose the use of that arm?

Depends which nerves, but it’s doubtful he’ll lose the use of the whole arm. If they’ve included it in the report it suggests that some major nerve(s) were damaged. Maybe the radial nerve and/ or the ulna nerve, if his neck and face/eye were attacked (imagining the position of the attacker). There may also be damage to the brachial plexus, which would be pretty bad.








Worst comes to worst, his hand function may be compromised. But neuroplasticity might help him recover some lost sensation, also function. I guess we’ll find out in time, or not if he prefers to keep it private.

 

[Pickman's model]

In a work of magical realism fiction. Lots of stuff happens in Rushdie novels that is not intended to be taken literally.

There are very nasty power dynamics behind the objections. We (self-appointed guardians of the faith) own this story. You're not allowed to play around with it in any way that we don't approve of.

That's where the likes of Le Carré got it badly wrong. iirc he spoke of 'great religions' and how we need to be careful around them. That's exactly the opposite of what I think. The so-called 'great religions' are the ones that most need to be challenged.

What he actually said is 'I don't think it is given to any of us to be impertinent to great religions with impunity'.

 

[tim]

Shows what being a cultist can do to you

You end up making people read small letters over long distances

 

[8ball]

Tedious cunt introducing a tedious, unoriginal, right-wing cunt who probably can't work out how he walked out of a GBNews studio, turned left, and found himself in front of several hundred undiscriminating happy clappers. One joke was stolen from Alexi Sayle who in turn stole it from Doctor Johnson. As to the Health and Safety stuff, I'd like to chain all self-styled comics who make jokes about contemporary regulation to the bow deck of the Herald of Free Enterprise and set the craft on a collision course with the Piper Alpha oil platform.

He wasn’t like this when I saw him, it was all about homeopathy and reiki and all manner of woo!

I have sent stiff emails to the BBC, to YouTube and to Mediawatch-UK to make my feelings known about what I’m sure we can all agree is pretty much desecration of the graves of accident victims, many of them children.

 

[weltweit]

Perpetrator has been charged with attempted murder and assault and remanded in custody.

Reuters

 

[8ball]

Perpetrator has been charged with attempted murder and assault and remanded in custody.

Reuters

No doubt there’ll be some incoherent ranting from the dock.

 

[Ax^]

ah he is not a trump supporter or a someone who attacked an abortion clinic

be surprised if he is allowed to talk in court

 

[8ball]

I don’t know the intricacies of the courtroom ranting regulations in the States tbf.

 

[weltweit]

From all the injuries Rushdie sustained it seems the attacker had some time without restraint to carry on his attack before the audience members were able to get on the stage and restrain him.

Indeed an audience member said on the radio that she initially thought it was some kind of stunt and didn't immediately realise Rushdie was being attacked. I think the interviewer might have been the first to try to intervene.

This lack of realisation something bad was going on happened to me a couple of weeks back when the picnic table I tried to sit at collapsed and rolled on top of me. My son could have prevented it at any point but he just didn't realise quickly enough what was happening.

Still, the audience intervention did prevent the attacker actually killing Rushdie which must have been his intent.

 

[Ax^]

the lack of realisation is not that uncommon , without trying to take the discussion in another directions
its why the whole "good guy will save the day" shit is absolute ballocks

most people with either shit themselves or not notice whats going on till its over

glad you are alright

 

[Idris2002]

With regard to the "offence" issue: the first to speak against the novel were Muslim leaders in South Africa - and not representative Muslim leaders either. These were a small clique of quislings who, unlike the rest of their community, had been paid off by the apartheid regime.

 

[weltweit]

..
glad you are alright

The whole story is here

 

[A380]

From all the injuries Rushdie sustained it seems the attacker had some time without restraint to carry on his attack before the audience members were able to get on the stage and restrain him.

Indeed an audience member said on the radio that she initially thought it was some kind of stunt and didn't immediately realise Rushdie was being attacked. I think the interviewer might have been the first to try to intervene.

This lack of realisation something bad was going on happened to me a couple of weeks back when the picnic table I tried to sit at collapsed and rolled on top of me. My son could have prevented it at any point but he just didn't realise quickly enough what was happening.

Still, the audience intervention did prevent the attacker actually killing Rushdie which must have been his intent.

You wouldn't need much time. Sadly once some one starts stabbing someone else they can do a lot of damage really really quickly.

 

[8ball]

the lack of realisation is not that uncommon , without trying to take the discussion in another directions
its why the whole "good guy will save the day" shit is absolute ballocks

most people with either shit themselves or not notice whats going on till its over

glad you are alright

Someone was beaten up in a pub by a bunch of people who came in. It took me a good while to have it sink in that I was actually reading things right.

Also, a mate I was with remembers it as a big fight between groups, whereas I def remember a one-sided beating.

 

[Ax^]

it not that surprising

the unreliability of witness statements has had legal and psychological studies

 

[xenon]

Most people aren’t used to being around violence and reacting. I remember a couple of times when someone else being attacked in the vicinity. A house party and near a takeaway. I mean I wasn’t about to jump in on my own, or anything of the like. But people were just kind of shocked like what is this really happening. I have a mate who is actually just completely oblivious to stuff brewing, when you feel like it’s going to kick off. Raised voices in a pub or something. which is a bit annoying as he tries to carry on a normal conversation whilst I’m trying to earwig what’s happening.

 

[kabbes]

The BBC did a good series on it (notwithstanding it does treat events as having an objectively true version, which is not necessarily the case). In this episode, they stage a fake crime in a pub and then investigate what a party in for a meal remembers of it afterwards. Spoiler: their memories don’t exactly turn out to be wholly reliable.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Still, the audience intervention did prevent the attacker actually killing Rushdie which must have been his intent.

Hopefully they got a few extra hits in.