Salman Rushdie's Kolkata visit canceled over concerns that Muslims might mount jihad attack

West Bengal authorities, anticipating Muslim protests, did not want him to come. Instead of standing up for the freedom of speech against violent intimidation, they become the willing enforcers of Sharia restrictions on criticism of Islam.

"Salman Rushdie's Kolkata visit cancelled over security concerns," from India Today, January 31 (thanks to Lookmann):

In a most unusual incident, controversial author Salman Rushdie, who was scheduled to visit Kolkata on Wednesday to promote Deepa Mehta's film based on his book 'Midnight's Children', was not allowed to come to Kolkata owing to security reasons.
The author of 'Satanic Verses' was supposed to come to Kolkata for promoting the film along with director Deepa Mehta and main cast Rahul Bose. But the visit had to be cancelled at the eleventh hour.

Deepa Mehta also cancelled her visit to Kolkata where she was scheduled to participate in an interactive session on her film at the second edition of Kolkata Literary Meet (KLM) being held at the Kolkata Book Fair. The film based on Rushdie's novel 'Midnight's Children' will hit the cinema halls on Friday.

Sources said the West Bengal government did not want the controversial author in the city anticipating there might be protests by some religious groups. A few years ago there were protests against the visit of Bengali writer Tasleema Nasreen that led to serious law and order problem in Kolkata.

Asked whether the state government stopped Rushdie from coming to Kolkata, home secretary Basudeb Banerjee told MAIL TODAY: "Initially we did not have any information about his arrival. I got the information at around 10 pm last night (Tuesday) from the police. They said Rushdie was not coming to Kolkata as they came to know from their counterparts in Mumbai that his visit was cancelled."

Banerjee said somebody like him (Rushdie) coming to Kolkata obviously had some serious implications. "Special security arrangements were needed for him. But as per I know there were no plans at all,"

Kolkata police joint commissioner (headquarters) Javed Shamim said that they did not have any prior information of Rushdie's visit to Kolkata. "I have nothing to say about Rushdi's visit. This much I can tell you. Please don't ask me anything more," Shamim told MAIL TODAY.

Organisers of the literary fest at the Kolkata Book Fair, however, said the police had asked them for a written guarantee that the author would not attend the meet. Sources also said the police had told the organisers if Rushdie came to the city he would be sent back immediately in the next flight.

Sources in Publishers and Book Sellers' Guild, the body responsible for organising the Book Fair, also said that phone calls from senior city police officers and "a senior minister" started coming from Tuesday afternoon directing them to cancel Rushdie's programme at the fair.

Last year Rushdie had withdrawn his name from the Jaipur Literature Festival after reports of a death threat. He was also forced to abandon plans to address the gathering by a video link after protesters threatened to march at the venue.

Meanwhile, anticipating Rushdie's arrival in the city around a hundred people from various Muslim groups had gathered at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport in the morning to protest against his visit. After the airport police told them the author was not coming to Kolkata from Mumbai, they gradually dispersed.

« Previous Entry | Home Page | Next Entry »

4 Comments

| Leave a comment

Buraq | January 30, 2013 2:33 PM | Reply

A gift for the film's promoters!

"Movie based on book written by author sentenced to death by Islam!"

Clowns!

Meryl Petkoff | January 30, 2013 2:34 PM | Reply

"... there might be protests by some religious groups"---

Shinto... rastafari... catholics... JEWS!

So it was a trap after all

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/01/muslim-scholars-in-mumbai-challenge-salman-rushdie-to-debate-on-islam.html

Pedohammedans don't debate, that's haram you see.

gravenimage | January 30, 2013 7:14 PM | Reply

Salman Rushdie's Kolkata visit canceled over concerns that Muslims might mount jihad attack
............................

Is anyone surprised by this? Salman Rushdie is *still* under constant threat of murder by pious Muslims, almost twenty-five years after that infamous Fatwa.

For many in the West, this case was the first time they would hear the term "Fatwa", or death threats against those who dared question Islam.

Yes—that's *exactly* what this is doing.

And it only emboldens thuggish, violent Muslims.

"Salman Rushdie's Kolkata visit cancelled over security concerns"
............................

"Security concerns"—*that's* a bland way of putting it. You'd think authorities were concerned over Rushdie being mobbed by over-enthusiastic fans or something.

In a most unusual incident, controversial author Salman Rushdie, who was scheduled to visit Kolkata on Wednesday to promote Deepa Mehta's film based on his book 'Midnight's Children', was not allowed to come to Kolkata owing to security reasons.
............................

What's "unusual" bout this? Dhimmi Infidels have been wimping out on featuring Rushdie, his work, or even allowing him to travel since 1989. This is despicable, but no can pretend at this point that it is "unusual".

They should be barring violent Muslims, not the civilized Mr. Rushdie.

The author of 'Satanic Verses' was supposed to come to Kolkata for promoting the film along with director Deepa Mehta and main cast Rahul Bose. But the visit had to be cancelled at the eleventh hour.
............................

Kudos to this brave film maker, her cast and crew. I admit I personally find Rushdie rather unreadable, but I am heartened to see those championing his work and making it availiable to others.

Deepa Mehta also cancelled her visit to Kolkata where she was scheduled to participate in an interactive session on her film at the second edition of Kolkata Literary Meet (KLM) being held at the Kolkata Book Fair. The film based on Rushdie's novel 'Midnight's Children' will hit the cinema halls on Friday.
............................

Perhaps a rather unfortunate turn of phrase, since I'm imagine it likely that Muslim bomb threats will be "hitting" some of those theaters at about the same time.

I hope the film is shown in the US. I'll be there if it is.

Sources said the West Bengal government did not want the controversial author in the city anticipating there might be protests by some religious groups. A few years ago there were protests against the visit of Bengali writer Tasleema Nasreen that led to serious law and order problem in Kolkata.
............................

No mention that this is all about violent Muslims. These weren't Hindus or Christians peacefully picketing these venues.

Asked whether the state government stopped Rushdie from coming to Kolkata, home secretary Basudeb Banerjee told MAIL TODAY: "Initially we did not have any information about his arrival. I got the information at around 10 pm last night (Tuesday) from the police. They said Rushdie was not coming to Kolkata as they came to know from their counterparts in Mumbai that his visit was cancelled."
............................

How weasely is *this*? The Indian government won't even say one way or another whether they prevented a peaceful, non-criminal citizen from traveling in a free democracy. *Appalling*.

Banerjee said somebody like him (Rushdie) coming to Kolkata obviously had some serious implications.
............................

Why? Only because India has a population of violent Muslims who want to prevent the free exercise of speech.

Organisers of the literary fest at the Kolkata Book Fair, however, said the police had asked them for a written guarantee that the author would not attend the meet. Sources also said the police had told the organisers if Rushdie came to the city he would be sent back immediately in the next flight.

Sources in Publishers and Book Sellers' Guild, the body responsible for organising the Book Fair, also said that phone calls from senior city police officers and "a senior minister" started coming from Tuesday afternoon directing them to cancel Rushdie's programme at the fair.
............................

This is *state censorship*.

Last year Rushdie had withdrawn his name from the Jaipur Literature Festival after reports of a death threat. He was also forced to abandon plans to address the gathering by a video link after protesters threatened to march at the venue.
............................

Who would care, if all they were going to do was "march"? Of course, they don't have peaceful picketing and leafletting in mind at all. What they meant was getting up a Muslim mob to riot and attack.

Meanwhile, anticipating Rushdie's arrival in the city around a hundred people from various Muslim groups had gathered at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport in the morning to protest against his visit. After the airport police told them the author was not coming to Kolkata from Mumbai, they gradually dispersed.
............................

In other words, police kindly notified the Muslim mob that their threats of violence worked, and that their strictures were enforced by the dhimmi government itself.

Madness.

Bingo | January 31, 2013 2:42 PM | Reply

I watched Salman do a Q&A on CSPAN recently. He peppers his speech with profanity and even sex. Strange guy.

NOTE: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.

FrontPageMag.com

Books by Robert Spencer

The Muslim Brotherhood in America, by Robert Spencer

Islamophobia: Thoughtcrime of the Totalitarian Future

Muslim Persecution of Christians, by Robert Spencer

The Ground Zero Mosque: Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks

“My comrade-in-arms, my pal, my buddy.”
— Oriana Fallaci

“Robert Spencer incarnates intellectual courage when, all over the world, governments, intellectuals, churches, universities and media crawl under a hegemonic Universal Caliphate’s New Order. His achievement in the battle for the survival of free speech and dignity of man will remain as a fundamental monument to the love of, and the self-sacrifice for, liberty.”
— Bat Ye’or

“Robert Spencer is indefatigable. He is keeping up the good fight long after many have already given up. I do not know what we would do without him. I appreciate all the intelligence and courage it takes to keep going despite the appeasement of the West.”
— Ibn Warraq

“America's most informed, fearless, and compelling voice on modern jihadism.”
— Andrew C. McCarthy, Senior Fellow at National Review Institute

“Robert Spencer is the leading voice of scholarship and reason in a world gone mad. If the West is to be saved, we will owe Robert Spencer an incalculable debt.”
— Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs

"The consummate Islam critic and expert." — Bruce Bawer

“Over the years, we have become friends, and I have received his assistance on several pieces of legislation I proposed.”
— Former Congressman Tom Tancredo

“Few people are capable of applying scholarship, analytical reasoning, and objectivity to their topic -- while simultaneously being readable and witty -- as can Robert Spencer.”
— Raymond Ibrahim

“A national treasure...The acclaimed scholar of Islam.”
— Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy

“I am indeed honored to call him my friend.”
— Brad Thor, novelist

“A top American analyst of Islam....A serious scholar...I learn from him.”
— Daniel Pipes

“A brilliant scholar and writer.”
— Douglas Murray

"One of my best teachers."
— Ashraf Ramelah, Voice of the Copts

“Thank God there’s at least one man with balls left in the West.”
— Kathy Shaidle, Five Feet of Fury

“I read people like [Mark Steyn] and Bob Spencer and the rest of them, and I say, ‘Boortz, you’re pretending you’re an author. These people really are. They really write some entertaining, some standup stuff.’”
— Neal Boortz

“Robert Spencer is the Stephen King of Jihad.”
— Chris Gaubatz, Muslim Mafia

“Armed with facts and fearlessness, Spencer stands up for Western civilization.”
— Michelle Malkin

“Widely read in conservative foreign policy circles.”
— New York Times

“Widely read in many quarters in Washington.”
— Washington Post

“A canny operative who likely has the inside track on the State Department’s Middle East affairs desk should the tea party win the White House.”
— New York Magazine

“A hero of the American right.”
— Karen Armstrong

"The leading anti-Islamic intellectual in the United States....The go-to Islam expert for the right wing."
— Salon Magazine

“Robert Spencer is an Edward Said turned upside down.”
— Stephen Suleyman Schwartz

“One of the nation's most notorious Islamophobes.”
— Hamas-linked CAIR

"Geller and Spencer are probably the most important propagandizing Islamophobes in the world. These people's voices speak very loudly — not just here in the United States but overseas."
— Heidi Beirach, Southern Poverty Law Center

“Satanic ignoramus.”
— Khaleel Mohammed

“The Likud anti-Christ.”
— Dar al-Hayat newspaper (Saudi Arabia)

“Zionist Crusader, missionary of hate, counter-Islam consultant.”
— Al-Qaeda’s Adam Gadahn, “Azzam the American”