To Sir Salman, with love

[CharleyH]

Well, how about it?

I have always wondered about the choices of knighthood and frankly Sir Salman Rushdie deserved to be knighted if only because he unzipped his pants and showed us his balls and then outran a fatwa because of it for all these years. Sure, Sir Paul McCartney showed fidelity to Linda in the face of horny fanatical fans for a lot longer ... but ... What say you all about this knighthood, if anything?

Here's a link to an article I liked on the topic ...

Islamic radicals promptly freak the fuck right out

 

[Huckleman2000]

Well, how about it?
[snip]
Here's a link to an article I liked on the topic ...

Islamic radicals promptly freak the fuck right out

Sorry, I got to the link in the second paragraph about his hot wife, and didn't get any further in the article.
Makes one want to be a famous author, doesn't it?

 

[CharleyH]

Sorry, I got to the link in the second paragraph about his hot wife, and didn't get any further in the article.
Makes one want to be a famous author, doesn't it?

You don't have to like the blog, Huck. I did and that's good enough for me. I was asking about what you felt regarding the knighthood?

 

[slyc_willie]

Well, how about it?

I have always wondered about the choices of knighthood and frankly Sir Salman Rushdie deserved to be knighted if only because he unzipped his pants and showed us his balls and then outran a fatwa because of it for all these years. Sure, Sir Paul McCartney showed fidelity to Linda in the face of horny fanatical fans for a lot longer ... but ... What say you all about this knighthood, if anything?

Here's a link to an article I liked on the topic ...

Islamic radicals promptly freak the fuck right out

Just caught a blurb about this on CNN . . . .

Rioting in Pakistan, burning the British flag, setting fire to Rushdie in effigy. AND . . .

Osama Bin Laden was just anointed 'The Sword of God.'

 

[Huckleman2000]

You don't have to like the blog, Huck. I did and that's good enough for me. I was asking about what you felt regarding the knighthood?

I like it fine, I just got a bit diverted, is all.
Re: the knighthood, I think it's swell. Certainly justified on the merits (judging from Rushdie's other awards and honors), and brave on principle as well.

 

[CharleyH]

Just caught a blurb about this on CNN . . . .

Rioting in Pakistan, burning the British flag, setting fire to Rushdie in effigy. AND . . .

Osama Bin Laden was just anointed 'The Sword of God.'

lol - well, this knighthood might fall by the wayside over here, since it pales in comparison to Paris Hilton's caged adventures, but alas I wanted to point it out.

I've never understood the concept of knighting rock stars and movie stars. Maybe I am old- (middle ages) fashioned, but I would have hoped knighthood would have retained some modicum of significant meaning and some semblance of worthy importance.

 

[slyc_willie]

lol - well, this knighthood might fall by the wayside over here, since it pales in comparison to Paris Hilton's caged adventures, but alas I wanted to point it out.

I've never understood the concept of knighting rock stars and movie stars. Maybe I am old- (middle ages) fashioned, but I would have hoped knighthood would have retained some modicum of significant meaning and some semblance of worthy importance.

In a way, I suppose it does. Rewarding knighthood is a way of expressing gratitude for what an individual does, and how they have impacted the culture of the UK. Sort of like inducting a sports figure into the Hall of Fame. It's an acknowledgement of effort . . . and, likely, popularity.

I think Rushdie's knighthood is interesting. His works are edgy, inspiring, and intelligent. the fact that the Crown has recognized him in this way shows either a bold move in the face of Islamic tensions, or a recognition of talent without the consideration of politics.

I'm not quite sure which.

 

[CharleyH]

I think Rushdie's knighthood is interesting. His works are edgy, inspiring, and intelligent. the fact that the Crown has recognized him in this way shows either a bold move in the face of Islamic tensions, or a recognition of talent without the consideration of politics.

I'm not quite sure which.

You raise a really good query. I can't answer apart from hoped personal opinion, but let's see if the topic stays around for a while.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I've never understood the concept of knighting rock stars and movie stars. Maybe I am old- (middle ages) fashioned, but I would have hoped knighthood would have retained some modicum of significant meaning and some semblance of worthy importance.

Here in Portugal, you can get knighted into the Order of Christ, the direct heirs of the Knights Templar. Well, you couldn't, because you're a foreigner, but I could. It would be cool. Unfortunately, it is only awarded for outstanding services in the exercise of public offices of sovereignty or public administration, of magistracy, or of diplomacy, that deserve special recognition. So fuck that.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

You raise a really good query. I can't answer apart from hoped personal opinion, but let's see if the topic stays around for a while.

Personally, I think the Crown just decided to reward talent without considering the politics this time. (Not that the British Crown has that much of a history for recognising artistic talent if it hits them in the face, but that's more Charles's fault than anyone else's, and he's been distracted lately.) Had the knighting been proposed by the Government, though, it would probably have been option A.

 

[3113]

Just caught a blurb about this on CNN . . . .

Rioting in Pakistan, burning the British flag, setting fire to Rushdie in effigy. AND . . .

Osama Bin Laden was just anointed 'The Sword of God.'

A good enough reason to *never* apologize to such extremists. They seem to be waiting for hair-trigger excuses to get pissed off beyond all reason. Can't they just bitch and argue about it on blogs and chat forums like the rest of us?

 

[neonlyte]

Here in Portugal, you can get knighted into the Order of Christ, the direct heirs of the Knights Templar. Well, you couldn't, because you're a foreigner, but I could. It would be cool. Unfortunately, it is only awarded for outstanding services in the exercise of public offices of sovereignty or public administration, of magistracy, or of diplomacy, that deserve special recognition. So fuck that.

Well... diplomacy is out. How about your public service of blocking roundabouts? Surely that's worthy of special recognition.

 

[slyc_willie]

A good enough reason to *never* apologize to such extremists. They seem to be waiting for hair-trigger excuses to get pissed off beyond all reason. Can't they just bitch and argue about it on blogs and chat forums like the rest of us?

Hmm . . . the 'Pissed-Off Extremist' blog. I'm sure there's one out there.

I'm willing to agree that Rushdie was knighted based simply upon his own merits, and that it would have happened earlier if not for consideration of outcry from radical Islam. I suppose the Crown finally wised up that, no matter when Rushdie was honored, it would piss someone off. Kudos to them, then, for not letting international politics intrude upon a national recognition.

 

[Liar]

I've never understood the concept of knighting rock stars and movie stars. Maybe I am old- (middle ages) fashioned, but I would have hoped knighthood would have retained some modicum of significant meaning and some semblance of worthy importance.

I've never understood the concept of knighting anybody. What's it for?

 

[slyc_willie]

I've never understood the concept of knighting anybody. What's it for?

Knighting is a holdover from Feudal England in which knighting established a man as a noble, and thus able to own land and take up arms. It's changed quite a bit since then.

 

[neonlyte]

Knighting is a holdover from Feudal England in which knighting established a man as a noble, and thus able to own land and take up arms. It's changed quite a bit since then.

Though many were far from 'noble'. It was a reward for favour performed or kinship, actually, little has changed over the last millennium.

 

[CharleyH]

Well... diplomacy is out. How about your public service of blocking roundabouts? Surely that's worthy of special recognition.

LOL - indeed.

 

[scheherazade_79]

I heard Margaret Becket, the Home Secretary, making a statement about it on the radio. She spoke about Britain's emphasis on the freedom of speech, and took the gloves off to add that threatening to kill someone because you disagree with what they say is unacceptable.

She went up a million times in my estimation for not backing down.

Giving Salman Rushdie the knighthood wasn't an attack on Islam. There are lots of muslims who've been put on the honours list, both this time round and on other occasions.

I'm getting tired of the oversensitivity of hard-liners. It's immature, at best. And to be brutally honest about this, who the hell are they to dictate who receives an award for literature in a foreign country and who doesn't, when they haven't even read the bloody book!

 

[slyc_willie]

I heard Margaret Becket, the Home Secretary, making a statement about it on the radio. She spoke about Britain's emphasis on the freedom of speech, and took the gloves off to add that threatening to kill someone because you disagree with what they say is unacceptable.

She went up a million times in my estimation for not backing down.

Giving Salman Rushdie the knighthood wasn't an attack on Islam. There are lots of muslims who've been put on the honours list, both this time round and on other occasions.

I'm getting tired of the oversensitivity of hard-liners. It's immature, at best. And to be brutally honest about this, who the hell are they to dictate who receives an award for literature in a foreign country and who doesn't, when they haven't even read the bloody book!

Hear, hear!

But no matter the truth, or how it is spun, there will always be those who will see Rushdie's knighting as an affront to Islam. No amount of convincing will change their mind.

And, as 3 pointed out, those in the radical bin were all too willing to rattle their sabres in protest, if for no other reason than to remind the rest of us that they are still there.

 

[scheherazade_79]

Hear, hear!

But no matter the truth, or how it is spun, there will always be those who will see Rushdie's knighting as an affront to Islam. No amount of convincing will change their mind.

And, as 3 pointed out, those in the radical bin were all too willing to rattle their sabres in protest, if for no other reason than to remind the rest of us that they are still there.

The other thing that grates on me is that if you and I were to visit Saudi, or Iraq, or Yemen, or someplace like that, we'd be expected to conform 100% to the local culture. There wouldn't be anywhere for us to practise our own religion, and as a woman I'd be expected to conform to the local dress code.

I can't speak about other western countries, but in Britain an awful lot is done to make muslims feel at home. They can follow their religion free of persecution, Ramadan is taken into consideration by education boards and employees, and we have a state-funded Islamic councils to address the needs of British Muslims.

Thinking about it more, I think Margaret Becket was probably too diplomatic. "Fuck off!" would probably have been a much better response.

 

[slyc_willie]

The other thing that grates on me is that if you and I were to visit Saudi, or Iraq, or Yemen, or someplace like that, we'd be expected to conform 100% to the local culture. There wouldn't be anywhere for us to practise our own religion, and as a woman I'd be expected to conform to the local dress code.

I can't speak about other western countries, but in Britain an awful lot is done to make muslims feel at home. They can follow their religion free of persecution, Ramadan is taken into consideration by education boards and employees, and we have a state-funded Islamic councils to address the needs of British Muslims.

Thinking about it more, I think Margaret Becket was probably too diplomatic. "Fuck off!" would probably have been a much better response.

I recognized that when I lived in London. Here in the states, however, Americans are very fickle. While the majority of people I know are generally tolerant of Muslims, I still hear the occasional 'rag-head' remark whenever a turban-wearing Muslim visits the restaurant. If push came to shove, they would most likely give in to denegrating Islamic culture and belief.

I don't know how the schools around here regard Islamic holidays and such. But I live in a very conservative, very pro-Bush area, and denouncement of Islam (which many know little about) seems pretty common. It would not surprise me if Islamic tradition was suppressed in favor of Christian ones.

On a side note, the chain to which my restaurant belongs is opening a new store in Kuwait, and their managers are coming to my store for training. It will be interesting to see how they handle the culture shock.

 

[3113]

On a side note, the chain to which my restaurant belongs is opening a new store in Kuwait, and their managers are coming to my store for training. It will be interesting to see how they handle the culture shock.

(perk) You work at a restaurant?

 

[gauchecritic]

Apart from being apparently populist it seems that these days a knightood is still for 'services rendered' to the commonwealth or at least the Union, whether they be 'feelgood', 'charitable' or 'worthy'.

What really pisses me off is that D. Beckham was denied a knighthood because he's moving to the US next season. As much as I dislike the scum-playing, money grabbing, stupid idiot he was and is one of the greatest footballers this country has ever produced and as such has given joy and uplifted the nation as a whole (except the Scots of course) with his paradoxical antics off the pitch as much as his skill on.

 

[slyc_willie]

(perk) You work at a restaurant?

Yes, I do. I figured that was fairly common knowledge by now.

 

[Liar]

What really pisses me off is that D. Beckham was denied a knighthood because he's moving to the US next season.

Wold he be knighted if he stayed in Spain?