Pangloss Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 Isn't this great? The queen makes Rushdie a knight and the next thing you know the radical pinheads stop fighting us and start beating each OTHER up! Well heck, I say add Mohommed to the BBC corner bug and maybe the whole problem goes away! Ah, well, darnit, I guess some "innocent" civilians would probably be caught in the middle. (sigh) Oh well. I love this headline from US News: "US Ignores Rushdie Protests by Muslims" Um, duh? What were they supposed to do? Oh right, issue a press release. Because, you know, press releases solve everything. I'm curious how the far left will make the west wrong on this one. Over in this thread one member's painting us as evil because we mess around with other country's internal affairs. But Britain can hardly be accused of that here! Still, I'm sure it's all our fault SOMEhow. That's the great thing about ideology -- it doesn't have to make sense.
ecoli Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 "US Ignores Rushdie Protests by Muslims" shouldn't that be "UK..." not "US..."
Realitycheck Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 I find it extremely surprising that the British government would give him such an esteemed title simply because he caused his own problems by writing a book called The Satanic Verses, a slap-happy mockery of the religion of Islam. Granted, he couldn't have known how much of a success it would become, but either way, give him a knighthood because one of the world's three biggest religions took offense at it? Sounds kind of crazy to me.
YT2095 Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 the British Government did NOT give him this award! the Queen did.
Realitycheck Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 That was my initial assumption. I think she is probably a bit senile, or thinking the same thing that everybody does, "If these Moslems are so righteous, why do they go around killing everybody?"
geoguy Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 I find it extremely surprising that the British government would give him such an esteemed title simply because he caused his own problems by writing a book called The Satanic Verses, a slap-happy mockery of the religion of Islam. Granted, he couldn't have known how much of a success it would become, but either way, give him a knighthood because one of the world's three biggest religions took offense at it? Sounds kind of crazy to me. Not really. S.R. is an esteemed writer with a substantial body of literature of which Satanic Verses is only one book. Even that book is not a mockery of Islam and, if it was, then 'too bad' if some nutbars are put out. Knighthhods, . are given out as recognition of a persons total contribution rather than 'an event'. There is a movement in the Pakistani parliament to bestow an equivalent award upon Osama bin Laden. That's their choice.
Sisyphus Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 Indeed, Rushdie is one of the most respected living authors, irregardless of politics. Midnight's Children won the "Booker Prize of Booker Prizes," for the best book to win the prize in the first 25 years of prizes (1969-1993). If rock stars get to be knights, he certainly should.
Pangloss Posted June 21, 2007 Author Posted June 21, 2007 shouldn't that be "UK..." not "US..." Oh dear, I'm such an idiot. Thanks ecoli.
Haezed Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 Gotta love the Brits! What I'm waiting for is for some Muslims to have the guts to have counterprotests - to march in support of Rushdi and against the nutcases.
the tree Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 Gotta love the Brits! The Queen != the British government The Queen != the British people The Queen != the fault of either of the above
ecoli Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 Gotta love the Brits! What I'm waiting for is for some Muslims to have the guts to have counterprotests - to march in support of Rushdi and against the nutcases. Even if it did happen, it would probably small and wouldn't get much press coverage.
gcol Posted June 22, 2007 Posted June 22, 2007 Whatever the literary merits and political insensitivity involved with Rushdie's Knighthood, my brief reading up on the mechanism for the awarding of honours Inclines me to leap to the defence of the Queen. Although she is titular head of the realm, since Ollie Cromwell murdered Charlie the first she has to rubber stamp anything which passes over her desk. Any British citizen (except the Queen) can make a new year honours list nomination. An army of civil Servants now sifts, sorts, vets, approves and possibly blackballs the list. Now each nomination goes before a committe with individual members assigned to investigate further. The committee comes up with a list which goes to the prime minister for approval (or not) and the list goes accross the queen's desk for rubber stamping. As far as I know, for fear of losing her head she never dissents. So Blair is the culprit, not the queen. There have been some ill-informed and pig-ignorant comments made on this topic, including from a moderator who should know better, given his penchant for ridiculing people who in his opinion do not have his scientific knowledge or rigour. In conclusion: "Google before you post" or if you want to make snide and insulting remarks about the queen, at least find out something about her constitutional position. I repeat, Blair is to blame, not queenie. P.S. If you want to really upset those peaceloving moslems, how about discussing the recent suggestion that Blair, when he retires,becomes some sort of middle eastern peace envoy? On hearing that I snorted my breakfast cereal up the kitchen wall. It was almost enough to make me give up smoking.
the tree Posted June 23, 2007 Posted June 23, 2007 I don't think it's that likely that the PM would reject the list either, as per usual, when saying "the Queen" I don't tend to mean actually the Queen personally. I somehow doubt that the Queen has heard of every single person on the honours list, but it is her office that holds responsibility for it.
gcol Posted June 23, 2007 Posted June 23, 2007 but it is her office that holds responsibility for it. I think you are wrong. Bestowing honours is not in the queen's gift. She is a constitutional rubber-stamper only. It is the PM's gift as evidenced by the recent ongoing cash for honours scandal, where honours were bestowed for cash as political favours to the labour party..... hardly a cause that would be dear to the queen's heart. A contribution from a student of politics who has some knowledge of the british constitution would be helpful here. Failing that, perhaps this is only pseudo-politics, joke politics, or merely discussion .
Haezed Posted June 23, 2007 Posted June 23, 2007 The Queen != the British governmentThe Queen != the British people The Queen != the fault of either of the above We love all of you guys.
Pangloss Posted June 24, 2007 Author Posted June 24, 2007 I'm kinda sorry to hear what gcol is saying. I was enjoying the notion that the Queen had read Rushdie's books, weighed the political implications, and made the decision herself, in one of those rare but shining moments where the situation calls for nothing short of autocratic dictate. Too bad. I know such gumption doesn't exist in a Democracy, but apparently it doesn't exist in a constitutional monarchy either. (sigh)
geoguy Posted June 24, 2007 Posted June 24, 2007 The queen was eating a crustless cucumber sandwich during the reception after the Knighthood. Between nibbles she was quoted by a relaible source: "Rushdie wrote what? : I thought he wrote those Harry Potter books by grandchildren rave about "
gcol Posted June 24, 2007 Posted June 24, 2007 Pangle and Geo: That's the spirit, nicely amusing. Perhaps we have poor literature being awarded with a debased honour by a rubber-stamping patsy. Just dont blame the patsy, that's her job. If there is blame to be apportioned, I would just like to see it laid at the right door.
John Cuthber Posted June 25, 2007 Posted June 25, 2007 I don't see Blair as the type to read much so I guess it was down to Rushdie's support from the literary world (rightly or wrongly). (and I think most of the queen's grandchildren are a bit old for Harry potter but that assumes they havew normal reading abillity.)
bombus Posted June 25, 2007 Posted June 25, 2007 Isn't this great? The queen makes Rushdie a knight and the next thing you know the radical pinheads stop fighting us and start beating each OTHER up! Well heck, I say add Mohommed to the BBC corner bug and maybe the whole problem goes away! Ah, well, darnit, I guess some "innocent" civilians would probably be caught in the middle. (sigh) Oh well. I love this headline from US News: "US Ignores Rushdie Protests by Muslims" Um, duh? What were they supposed to do? Oh right, issue a press release. Because, you know, press releases solve everything. I'm curious how the far left will make the west wrong on this one. Over in this thread one member's painting us as evil because we mess around with other country's internal affairs. But Britain can hardly be accused of that here! Still, I'm sure it's all our fault SOMEhow. That's the great thing about ideology -- it doesn't have to make sense. I think Rushdie deserves a Knighthood to honour his writing skills, and what he has said about Islam (he is a muslim himself). Many fundamentalist Muslims hate him because he questions their interpretation of Islam. There are many Muslims who want Islam to be open for debate, as what happened in the Christian church many centuries ago. I would also welcome such a debate. Maybe if it ever occurs the fundamentalists can be overthrown by the more progressive Muslims, and we can all breath a bit easier. Then we can start on the fundamentalist Christians again, as they are on the rise!
Pangloss Posted June 26, 2007 Author Posted June 26, 2007 I told you we'd agree on something sooner or later, bombus.
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