James O’Brien moved by Ian McEwan words after brutal attack on Salman Rushdie
15 August 2022, 15:29
James O'Brien moved by author Ian McEwan's words
James O’Brien was moved by author Ian McEwan’s article that encapsulated his own thoughts on the horrific stabbing of Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.
The Satanic Verses sparked outrage when it was published in 1988.
Sir Salman received death threats and went into hiding due to a fatwa, issued by Iran's Supreme Leader at the time Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which called for his assassination.
For three decades Sir Salman evaded violence, but the author was stabbed 12 times in New York and is recovering.
James read portions of the article and called it "a bit beautiful".
Writing in The Times, Mr McEwan lamented on the attack, Sir Salman's life, freedom of speech and the “true threats” stating there is “an illiberal spirit is gathering”.
Mr McEwan wrote: “We understood that freedom of expression was the foundation stone of all our freedoms, every right and liberty we possess has had to be spoken and written into existence."
James was visibly touched by these words and also blasted an article published by the Daily Mail which he said used the crime against Sir Salman to “springboard into more hatred, in this occasion of leftists”.
James said “bloody leftists” are not the issue but concurred with Mr McEwan’s words that listed the “true threats”.
In the piece Mr McEwan wrote: "China might soon have the technical means to perfect its totalitarian model.
"Putin’s Russia is openly hostile to the open society and increasingly resembles a fascist state.
"In two years we might even see the end of the republic in the USA. Hungary, Turkey, Pakistan, the Gulf states — the space for free thought has been shrinking around the world."
James went on to slam the Daily Mail article for using Sir Salman's attack as it is the “polar opposite” of what he stood for.
