Beknighted

Expect the usual suspects to whine and seethe as the Queen of England conferred knighthood on Salman Rushdie today.

Some Muslims accused Rushdie him of blasphemy in the book and Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini pronounced a death sentence on him in 1989.

"I really have no regrets about any of my work," Rushdie told reporters after being asked about "The Satanic Verses."

"This is, as I say, an honor not for any specific book but for a very long career in writing and I'm happy to see that recognized," he said.

The fatwas for his death still stand, and must have tight security wherever he goes because of his writings.

UPDATE:
While knighting someone is fairly common, revoking someone's knighthood isn't. Mugabe had his revoked today.

Salman Rushdie To Divorce

Author Salman Rushdie and his wife Padma Lakshmi, host of TV show "Top Chef," are getting divorced, his spokeswoman said on Monday, just two weeks after he was awarded a controversial knighthood.

Rushdie is the 60-year-old writer whose novel "The Satanic Verses" outraged many Muslims and sparked death threats that forced him to live in hiding for nine years. He married Lakshmi, a former model born in 1970, in 2004.

"Salman Rushdie has agreed to divorce his wife, Padma Lakshmi, because of her desire to end their marriage," spokeswoman Jin Auh said in a statement on his behalf.

While no reason is given to end their marriage, I wonder whether the multiple fatwas and death threats had something to do with it. (HT: anonymous emailer)

UPDATE:
It appears that Sir Rushdie's having a real bad day. As noted by LGF, the usual suspects in Britain are blaming his knighthood on the latest terrorism.

In an exclusive interview with Alalam, Al-Sayyed Farjani said while Britain Muslims are strongly condemning the terrorist attacks, unfortunately there are always charges against the Muslims accusing them of involving in these attacks.

Referring to the vital role of Muslims in fighting against terrorism and extremism as well as encountering with violence against the innocent people in Britain, the official said while no group has claimed the responsibility of bombings yet; some extremist parties are trying to accuse the Muslims.

Farjani also strongly condemned the knighthood conferred on Salman Rushdie, adding this odious behavior could have be a main factor in preparing the ground for the youth to join terrorist groups.

I wonder when the British car bombers decided to start their plot against London and Glasgow airport. I suspect that the plot was well underway before Rushdie was knighted.

Honor Worth Defending

Once again, Ayaan Hirsi Ali comes through and shows that she gets it. Defending Salman Rushdie against the calls for his head by the Islamists after the Queen beknighted Rushdie is an honor worth defending.

Westerners have too often shrugged their shoulders at the trashing of their icons - such as when the queen is burned in effigy - by the foot soldiers of tribal barbarism. This perceived weakness makes the foes of the West more ferocious and helps recruit more jihadists.

Instead the West should join together to vigoroulsy defend its symbols and civilization that, with all its flaws, still offers the best life to the most people.

Strident demands for apologies from power holders should be met with stoicism. Not one inch should be given.

Governments like that of Pakistan, which encourage and even stoke the flames, ought to be brought to account instead of coddled. The United States and Britain ought to demand that Pakistan's religious affairs minister, Mohammed Ijaz ul-Haq, resign for saying, in the Pakistani Parliament: "The West is accusing Muslims of extremism and terrorism. If someone exploded a bomb on his body he would be right to do so unless the British government apologizes and withdraws the 'sir' title."

With this episode involving Sir Salman, the Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka is absolutely right: It is a fatal mistake for the West to let the forces of intolerance "define the territory of insult." The West must stand its ground.

By knighting Salman Rushdie, the queen has honored the freedom of conscience and creativity cherished in the West, making her a symbol of the essence of our way of life.