Death Threats Against Rushdie Thwart Festival Appearance
Salman Rushdie (Photo: Mariusz Kubik/Wikipedia)
It has been more than 20 years since Salman Rushdie published “The Satanic Verses.”
Many Muslims called the novel blasphemous.
Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death.
That sent Rushdie into hiding for years.
Now, there is a new conflict over Rushdie in India, where he was burn.
The British author was scheduled to speak this weekend at India’s largest literary festival organized in the northwestern city of Jaipur.
But Rushdie canceled after police warned him of a threat against his life.
The organizers tried to have Rushdie appear by video-link, but the owner of the hotel where the festival was held canceled the video link Tuesday, just minutes before Rushdie was scheduled to appear.
Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.
Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.