I have had 3 bizarre experiences lately sitting in the train from Geneva to Nyon and vice versa. Beeing a big fan of Salman Rushdie, i finally laid hands on Satanic Verses. And as with most of Rushdies other books, it is of amazing beauty.
Whilst minding my own business, and reading the book in the train I had now three people telling me I was wrong (in very harsh words in one instance) and even trying to take it off me. Trying to explain that this book is not forbidden in Switzerland, and that it is free for me to read it, I was just blundly told that they didn't care. It insulted Islam, and that's the only argument.
Now I have seen statements, and stupid movies which I found totally unnessecary. But this book (I'm only halfway through) is not made, or as I see it, is not at all an attempt to mock or insult.
It scared me that apperently reading a book, which the other people clearly never read, can suddenly spark such reactions. And believe me, the people who made these comment didn't look like the average flag burning idiots you see on TV. I tried to explain that I appreciate AND respect religion greatly, and that freedom of religion is paramount to me, but that I in the same time, did not want to be limited by THEIR religion. They are free to do so, but so am I. The last one even made threads, should have taken a picture and should have had him reported to the police...
I start to wonder more and more that it seems that certain people (not saying everybody) just WANT to be insulted, and will go at great lenghts to BE insulted. I am just wondering, what ever happened to mutual respect. Do I disrespect people by reading a book? Certain books would defenitely do yes (like mein kampf etc.etc. - but those where written with a political agenda) but this book, as far as I can see it - It was never meant or intended to be so. Found some interesting quotes on wikipedia on the book - which actually inspired to keep on reading (be it with a cover around it now)
Quote:
After the Satanic Verses controversy developed, some scholars familiar with the book and the whole of Rushdie's work, like M. D. Fletcher, saw the reaction as ironic. Fletcher wrote "It is perhaps a relevant irony that some of the major expressions of hostility toward Rushdie came from those about whom and (in some sense) for whom he wrote."[5] He said the manifestations of the controversy in Britain "embodied an anger arising in part from the frustrations of the migrant experience and generally reflected failures of multicultural integration, both significant Rushdie themes. Clearly, Rushdie's interests centrally include explorations of how migration heightens one's awareness that perceptions of reality are relative and fragile, and of the nature of religious faith and revelation, not to mention the political manipulation of religion. Rushdie's own assumptions about the importance of literature parallel in the literal value accorded the written word in Islamic tradition to some degree. But Rushdie seems to have assumed that diverse communities and cultures share some degree of common moral ground on the basis of which dialogue can be pieced together, and it is perhaps for this reason that he underestimated the implacable nature of the hostility evoked by The Satanic Verses, even though a major theme of that novel is the dangerous nature of closed, absolutist belief systems."[5]
Unquote
Be safe everybody, and be happy. Please refrain from racist comments, or stupid xenophobic comments because nobody is interested. I'm aware these are just incidents, however, I would like to have a more open dialog on mutual respect. And live and let live. Freedom of religion is great, but - in my opinion, I don't want to, and shouldn't be bothered by it. Keep it in your living room people!!!
