Famed author takes on Kansas: Rushdie bemoans role of religion in public life

Citizens of the world should be concerned about religious extremism whether it’s in Iran or America, says author Salman Rushdie, who was once marked for death by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini.

Rushdie compared the emergence of religion into public life in Kansas with similar movements across the world in a lecture Thursday at the Lied Center.

“I would really love never to mention that word again: religion,” Rushdie said. “But now it seems to be coming right at us all. I don’t just mean radical Islam, by the way. I believe we have some problems right here.”

Rushdie received a standing ovation after the lecture, in which he revealed his thoughts on writing and receiving death threats and also blasted religion, intelligent design and the best-selling book “The Da Vinci Code.”

Rushdie told the crowd that religion has much potential to do harm in the world today.

“It’s a pretty bad time for us who don’t believe that superstition should rule the world,” he said.

When asked how rationalism could win the fight against religion, Rushdie said with ridicule, argument and battle. When he was young, the 58-year-old said, he and others thought they’d won the battle. So they turned their heads.

We were “so busy having fun that all the uncool people took over the world,” he said.

And this superstition needs to be pushed back in the cupboard where it belongs, he said. Rushdie also blasted intelligent design proponents.

“I never had any doubts about evolution theory,” he said. “I gather there are parts of Kansas where the big bang did not take place.”

"Randall Terry is a nut, but you're not stupid enough to think he wants to harm non-Christians, are you? This statement was addressed to Euthanizers: people who have killed someone to "end their misery". Terry believes euthanasia is murder, and that murderers should be executed."

But, coupled with his other statements. Such as:

"I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good...Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty, we are called by God to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism." (Randall Terry, The News Sentinel, Fort Wayne, IN, Aug. 16, 1993).

It becomes clear that Randall Terry does intend violence to all of those, with whom he does not agree. So, it is a mistaken claim, that he only directed his comments only at those who commit euthanasia. It is clearly apparent that Randall Terry wants to forcibly convert people of other faiths, and if that goal is not successful, kill them.

How many people on here actually read his book? Most of us know only what we have heard in the media - that he wrote a book criticizing Islam.

I haven't read his books. I've only read a few of his essays and articles, and some things about him. He's a smart man, a courageous man, a man of the world.

I doubt many of us equate Islam with Christianity. You may.

I don't.

I'm sure Rushdie doesn't. After all, he's chosen to live in the West. I also doubt that he thinks religion is responsible for all of man's failures, weaknesses and sins...or that a secular society is proof against them.

But he's found elements of all religions that he doesn't like and it isn't difficult to guess what they are; certainty in an uncertain world based on "scripture", intolerance of alternate views - especially those which question "scripture, self-righteousness, small-mindedness, fear of sexuality.

You have nothing to fear: His comments were directed at euthanizers. But even if your premise were true, Randall Terry only represents Randall Terry.

Don't let the behavior of one member of a group lead you to believe all members of the group agree.

For instance, several white males are serial killers. 99.9999% of white males would never kill one, let alone more, people.

For instance, several black males are serial killers. 99.9999% of black males would never kill one, let alone more, people.

For instance, several homosexuals are child molesters... and so on.

Judge each individual by their individual behavior.

"Judge each individual by their individual behavior."

That is what we should be doing for all ethnic groups and religious faiths.

Randall Terry is a scumbag.

Fred Phelps is also a scumbag.

So is Pat Robertson, because he is a money-grubbing preacher. He is presently worth between $200 million and $1 billion, all from bilking his followers.

Osama bin Laden is a scumbag, a terrorist and mass murderer.

Saddam Hussein is a mass murder, having committed genocide.

The Ayatollah Khomeini was a dangerous bigot and tyrant.

But, that does not mean every Muslim is of the same bigotry and hatred.

You can find psychopathic individuals in every ethnic group or religious faith. It just does not mean that all people of a given group are also psychopathic in their behavior.

Rushdie is a smart man...

Rushdie is also a deeply intolerant, rather pompous man. With remarkable similarity to a good Marxist, he sees himself as intellectually superior to "the masses". He views the public school system as a venue to brain-wash innocent children with his views that they will never amount to anything unless they tow the atheists' line.

He used to be different, but some of his most recent articles demonstrate clearly his Marxist' leanings and how he has closed his mind.

"It's no accident that the ruling alliance lost heavily in Andhra Pradesh and in Tamil Nadu, precisely the states that wooed information technology giants such as Microsoft to set up shop, turning sleepy "second cities" such as Madras, Bangalore and Hyderabad into new-tech boom towns. That's because while the rich got richer, the fortunes of the poor, such as the farmers of Andhra, declined year by year. The gulf between India's rich and poor has never looked wider than it does today, and the government has fallen into that chasm.(snip),

India's business elite [code phrase for "capitalist pigs"] has hastened to welcome the Congress victory, and we shall have to see how the change of government affects market confidence. But the dispossessed of India have dealt a mighty blow to the assumptions of the country's political and economic chieftains, and the lesson should be learned by all parties: Ignore the well-being of the masses at your peril."

Rushdie, Washington Post, May 14, 2004

Rushdie opposes faith based schools:

Salman Rushdie has condemned the Prime Minister's staunch support of Muslim faith schools. The author of The Satanic Verses warned that increasing the number of children attending such schools would not tackle Islamic extremism. And he said he feared that Tony Blair was courting the wrong leaders from the Muslim community in the fight against terrorism.

"If you look in the papers right now you have a two-thirds majority of the British people objecting to the introduction of faith-based schools and yet that is an absolutely central plank of the Government's policy," he said. "If he thinks that more religion is going to solve the problem, then not only in my view is he wrong, but he is also seriously out of step with the country."

Mr Rushdie criticised the Government for pigeon-holing Muslims for their beliefs alone. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "It is important to see that for most people of Muslim belief or Muslin origin in this country, they have a range of political and social interests, which have nothing to do with whether or not they are religious."

He also criticised the Muslim Council of Britain, calling its leaders "minority figures claiming to be important". He said, "I think what really needs to happen is that the very large majority of British people of Muslim origin who don't want to be just defined in terms of their religion start speaking up and creating a genuine voice, which represents the majority."

(Daily Mail, 30 August 2005)

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