The Cause and Effect of Writers' Free Expressions

This morning's startling news that Salman Rushdie had been stabbed by a guy as he prepared to give a lecture in New York, shocked the entire world.

A bloodied Rushdie, 75, was flown to a hospital and underwent surgery.

A spectator described it as, “We thought perhaps it was part of a stunt to show that there’s still a lot of controversy around this author. But it became evident in a few seconds” that it wasn’t, she said.

Rushdie has been a prominent spokesman for free expression and liberal causes, and the literary world recoiled at what novelist and Rushdie friend Ian McEwan described as “an assault on freedom of thought and speech.”

“Salman has been an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world,” McEwan said in a statement. “He is a fiery and generous spirit, a man of immense talent and courage, and he will not be deterred.”

Why have authors and intellectuals become the targets of violence recently? Is it because of intolerance towards freedom of expression or a distrust and a perceived threat?

Originally posted by: Viswasruti

This morning's startling news that Salman Rushdie had been stabbed by a guy as he prepared to give a lecture in New York, shocked the entire world.

A bloodied Rushdie, 75, was flown to a hospital and underwent surgery.

A spectator described it as, “We thought perhaps it was part of a stunt to show that there’s still a lot of controversy around this author. But it became evident in a few seconds” that it wasn’t, she said.

Rushdie has been a prominent spokesman for free expression and liberal causes, and the literary world recoiled at what novelist and Rushdie friend Ian McEwan described as “an assault on freedom of thought and speech.”

“Salman has been an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world,” McEwan said in a statement. “He is a fiery and generous spirit, a man of immense talent and courage, and he will not be deterred.”

Why have authors and intellectuals become the targets of violence recently? Is it because of intolerance towards freedom of expression or a distrust and a perceived threat?

Why? Don't know about other authors but Salman Rushdie was attacked cz of Fatwa

The fatwa was renewed again in 2012 by some Iranian clergy I think

Also which authors have been threatened with violence recently?

Originally posted by: BettyA1

Why? Don't know about other authors but Salman Rushdie was attacked cz of Fatwa

The fatwa was renewed again in 2012 by some Iranian clergy I think

Also which authors have been threatened with violence recently?

The data published in which the poets, scholars, songwriters and translators, among other intellectuals, were unjustly attacked last year around the world.

Among them was Zehra Dogan, a Kurdish artist and journalist charged in 2017 over a painting of the Turkish city of Nusaybin in the country’s southeast, the site of clashes between the Turkish military and the Kurdistan Worker’s Party in 2016. She was released in February of last year.

Women detainees make up just around 16 percent of the total count, but a disproportionate number of women detained were actively working to advance women’s rights. Among those included is Loujain al-Hathloul, a Saudi writer and women’s rights activist currently behind bars.

What does a writer and theater personality, a professor fighting for justice for a slain RTI activist, a filmmaker questioning Hindu rituals, a young dalit student and writer questioning the system of caste, and an eminent academic of Vachana literature have in common? All of them have faced the violent reactions for speaking out against injustice. In the last week, Yogesh Master, theater personality and the writer of the novel Dundhi, was attacked with black ink by a few persons. Days following this attack, rationalist Professor Narendra Nayak escaped an attempt on his life.

These attacks continued despite the outrage following the killing of Professor MM Kalburgi. It is this last case that most of us are familiar with, a professor of Vachana literature, an author of hundreds of books and articles, a winner of the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award, a leading member of the Lingayat community in Karnataka, an epigraphist, the Vice Chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi and a vocal voice against idolatry in Hinduism, Professor MM Kalburgi, was shot dead in his home by two members.

Everyone, esp the writer has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Another writer threatened

She now has to fear for her life

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/14/police-investigate-threat-jk-rowling-salman-rushdie

Originally posted by: BettyA1

Another writer threatened

She now has to fear for her life

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/14/police-investigate-threat-jk-rowling-salman-rushdie

Rowling is one of a number of writers who have expressed concern for Rushdie, including Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, and William Dalrymple, who described the attack as “a terrible day for literature, for freedom of speech and for authors everywhere.”

Religious fanaticism is not a problem restricted only to our part of the world, Bose Krishnamacahri, artist and founder member-president of Kochi Biennale Foundation, pointed out.

He said: "What happened a few days back is terrible. Violence seems to have become the answer to all disagreements. Penetration of education does not seem to have had an impact on people obsessed with religion. This will continue to happen unless people realise that debating and civil discussions are the only way to solve differences."

Author Taslima Nasrin against whom several fatwas have been issued for her "anti-Islamic remarks" says that she is extremely disturbed after a religious leader, addressing a rally of thousands in Pakistan a few days back, called for her to be killed.

For the last 33 years, the world-renowned author Salman Rushdie has lived under threat because of his writing.

Writer Nayantara Saghal, a long-time friend of Rushdie says she is horrified by the vicious attack on Salman Rushdie and the world of hatred and violence that we now live in.

"I salute his courage as a writer and the way he has defended freedom of expression all his life. In fact, he also defended me," adds this author who returned her Sahitya Akademi award in 2015.

Stressing that we seem to have become a society, united more by hate and violence than by compassion, theatre director Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry, recipient of the Padma Shri honor says that the attack on the author is chilling, and has once again asserted that violence stalks us constantly.

She said--"The battle against words cannot be fought with knives and guns. These are sad days and sad times. Hope is a fading landscape."