Free Republic

​Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Iran of inciting the knife attack on “The Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie​, blasting the regime as “despicable” Sunday. Blinken lauded Rushdie, 75, as more than a “literary giant.”​​​ The author has “consistently stood up for the universal rights of freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and freedom of the press​,” the secretary of state said in a statement released on Sunday.​ “While law enforcement officials continue to investigate the attack, I am reminded of the pernicious forces that seek to undermine these rights, including through hate speech and incitement to violence​,”...