Imran Khan cancels India trip over Rushdie

[Shardul.....the lion]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Wednesday abruptly cancelled a visit to India after it emerged British author Salman Rushdie would speak at the same conference.

Khan was scheduled to attend the India Today Conclave in New Delhi on Friday as a keynote speaker but pulled out, in a move likely to raise further fears among liberals about his brand of politics.

A statement from his party said “he could not even think of participating in any programme that included Salman Rushdie, who has caused immeasurable hurt to Muslims across the globe”.

Organisers announced on Tuesday that Rushdie would speak at the conference, two months after death threats forced him to withdraw from India’s premier literature festival.

Rushdie’s 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses” is still banned in India and Pakistan for allegedly blaspheming Muslims.

The 64-year-old writer, who was born in Mumbai, spent a decade in hiding after Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa in 1989 calling for his death over the book.

Khan guided his country to a World Cup win in 1992, entered politics after founding his Movement for Justice Party in 1996.

In recent months, he has emerged as a credible political voice in Pakistan, unnerving his opponents by drawing crowds of more than 100,000 to rallies in which he has promised a “good tsunami” against injustice and corruption.

Women and liberals have raised concerns, however, about Khan’s links with right-wing Islamic groups and his call for peace with the Taliban.

Imran Khan cancels India trip over Rushdie | World | DAWN.COM

 

[Leviza]

good step taken by Imran .....

Women and liberals have raised concerns, however, about Khan’s links with right-wing Islamic groups and his call for peace with the Taliban.

These days anyone who is a good Muslim is labelled like this ...
USA is talking with Taliban in Qatar but when any Pakistani ask for this ... these liberals start saying things like this.... shame on them

 

[untitled]

Why do Muslims have so much against Rusdie?

Would you like such a text to be written about your believes ? Would you hold such an author in high regard ?

.....,but it was meant to humor not offend.

That is where you are mistaken my friend.

The whole idea behind that pathetic excuse for a book was to enrage Muslims and judge them by their violent responses and for that wretched Mr Rushdie to become a sort of celebrity by riding the wave of the ensuing controversy

 

[Yaduveer]

Aah this is what I call good politics!

Even Indian congress do not support lecture of Rushdie over Jaipur convention.
Why would you expect from a muslim politician that too from Pakistan to share the dais with Rushdie.

 

[Awesome]

Why do Muslims have so much against Rusdie?
I understand that the Satanic verses had some controversial references to Prophet Muhammad,but it was meant to humor not offend.

Hmmm having read the synopsis, I believe it contains references to the wives of the Prophet belonging to professions that we as Muslims deem unmentionable in this context and the assertion that the prophet preached worship to mythological deities.

The whole idea behind that pathetic excuse for a book was to enrage Muslims and judge them by their violent responses and for that wretched Mr Rushdie to become a sort of celebrity by riding the wave of the ensuing controversy

British commentators have described him to have personality disorders and suffers from some self-loathing owing to his Muslim and Indian backgrounds.

 

[beggingwalker]

i read that imran khan used to be supporter of rushdie.its all political games and IK is slowly learning to play it.
so no need to come Mr khan,it does not affect at all and it could make your life miserable in your own country.

 

[Awesome]

You should read the whole book.

1. The prostitutes impersonated themselves as Prophet's wives.
2. Satanic verses is historical thing, not invented by Rusdie.

Which is worse? It's not something we pander over. Fictitious accounts of the Prophet is quite unwelcome. I have no intention of reading the book

 

[pak-marine]

i feel bad for Imran khan i dont think its his personal decision but more of a political decision taken by him and party "" as his opponents might take this chance to use the same old Yahoodi Sazish campiagn and ruin his reputation ... and offcourse the mullah brigade etc ... offcourse by not taking part will hurt his international reputation .... its a price he has to pay

 

[Harry Potter]

Salman Rushdie projected his own views with respect to Quran,he is entitled to his views.
But the death threats,boycotts were unnecessary,at the max the Muslim countries should have censored the book.

 

[Leviza]

self deleted

 

[LaBong]

Which is worse? It's not something we pander over. Fictitious accounts of the Prophet is quite unwelcome. I have no intention of reading the book

I understand. I was just giving the factual detail.

 

[untitled]

Salman Rushdie projected his own views with respect to Quran,he is entitled to his views.

His own views ? He was brought up in very secular environment. I seriously doubt he could have written something like that without outside help.

.
i think all death threats to this stupid Salman Rushdie are right,..

It was the fatwa against him that made his work infamous

 

[LaBong]

your post is reported and Asim Aquil you being administrator please handle it properly



i think all death threats to this stupid Salman Rushdie are right,..

So you want me to be handled properly just because I gave the factual detail and at the same breadth asking for death of people. Hypocrisy galore?

 

[Leviza]

So you want me to be handled properly just because I gave the factual detail and at the same breadth asking for death of people. Hypocrisy galore?

your factual detail is so wrong and you dont have any right to say or put things which are offended to me, this is the forum where we can discuss things but there are always limits to such things. indians get really upset when someone calls them .......... ... , but they get all the BS logic when something it against or offended to us ...

i have all the right to actually believe in what seems right to me...,

(edited some lines as the wrong post was deleted by Mods)

 

[haviZsultan]

Enter the world of Pakistani politics... he can't afford to piss off the Mullah's when already some of the Ultra-liberals are blaming IK of being a Mullah.