Author Salman Rushdie Writes of His Life in Hiding

In 1998, writer Salman Rushdie published a novel called The Satanic Verses. It was a serious novel, not intended to provoke, but the book was soon identified as offensive to Islam and Rushdie found himself the subject of a fatwa. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for Rushdie to be killed for his offenses to Islam.

This is news now because of the recent violence against Americans for a crude and offensive film anti-Islam produced in the U.S. and posted to YouTube. It's also news because Rushdie has published a memoir of his days in hiding. The book, Joseph Anton, tells of his 10 years living under police protection. (The New York Times has an interview with Rushdie about the book. Here's the link.) 

All of this gets raises important questions about free speech and religion. In the U.S., for example, people are rarely offended by a novel (a novel!) and they rarely resort to riots or violence. In the Middle East, however, religious sensitivities are different and free speech traditions are weak.

In sum, what are we to think of this clash of ideas? In the U.S. we tend to value free speech and tolerate religious criticism. But when does speech cross the line? And how should those offended by speech respond short of violence?

Think about these questions. I'd like to discuss this in some detail in class.