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Salman Rushdie Free Speech

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Would you say what you stick to your beliefs if an entire religious group threatened your life? Salman Rushdie is the type of individual who will not succumb to intimidation attempts, furthering discussions of topics that are becoming more prohibited, politically and in print. Salman Rushdie followed through with publishing his novel The Satanic Verses, in spite of death threats, critiquing Islam and called blasphemous. Salman Rushdie is a stalwart defender of free speech, looking at banned topics as matters that are undeniably important to discuss. “What happened in India has happend in God’s name. The problem’s name is God” (Rushdie). These are the words of Salman Rushdie in his article “Slaughter in the Name of God,” printed in The Washington Post, after the 2002 Gujarat riots in western India. Many would consider this statement to ble blasphemy, however it is much more than that. Salman Rushdie often uses his right to free speech in order to evoke emotions as well as open up a forum to discuss controversial ideas. Many people would consider Salman Rushdie to be a provocateur, only attempting to express outlandish ideas and statements in order to upset and inflame already delicate situations. This belief can be considered short sighted, as Salman Rushdie has been pivotal in breaking down censorship, which is often used to rewrite history and persecute the rights of human beings. Salman Rushdie said, “... one of the problems of defending the extraordinary

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