Salman Rushdie and a question of power
Spectator (UK)Nov 24, 2022
The Facts
The Biden admin. is reportedly considering new sanctions targeting Iranian-linked entities in response to the stabbing attack on writer Salman Rushdie in New York last month.
Some of the entities considered for sanctions are those who offered rewards for Rushdie's death following Ayatollah Khomeini's 1989 fatwa following the publication of "The Satanic Verses."
The Spin
Anti-Iran narrative
The attack on Rushdie was Iranian-inspired, if not Iranian-directed. Tehran-affiliated entities are deeply responsible as they have supported the fatwa against Rushdie for decades. The US and its partners should use every appropriate tool at their disposal to fight those who threaten the universal rights of freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and freedom of the press.
Pro-Iran narrative
Iran cannot be blamed for the attack. If anyone is to blame, it's Rushdie and his supporters. Though nothing justifies the brutal attack, it was Rushdie's blatant and deliberate insulting of Muslims that prompted it, not orders from Iran, direct or otherwise. US policies are unfair, and Washington has clear double standards when it comes to supporting freedom of expression.
