For the Queen!!!!!

**doc_bean** · 06-19-2007, 09:37

Good move.

**Banquo's Ghost** · 06-19-2007, 09:58

Just for accuracy's sake, Her Majesty doesn't choose who gets an honour any more. The process is overseen by an Honours Committee and then the choices are submitted by the Prime Minister (after checking how much has been deposited by the candidate in the Labour Party coffers).

The Queen only gets to do the pinning on and waving of swords.

On the award to Sir Salman, it's about time. He is an excellent novelist. It is saddening however, that mainstream self-appointed spokesmen for the Muslim community like Lord Ahmed have reinforced the stereotype of Islamic intolerance by condemning the award.

One expects oddballs like the Pakistani Religious Affairs Minister to make fools of themselves, but Lord Ahmed is doing his community a severe disservice.

**Ignoramus** · 06-19-2007, 10:07

One wonders what the Queen does independently anymore. It is sad to lower the monarchy to such a low state.

**Papewaio** · 06-19-2007, 13:51

Originally Posted by Ignoramus

One wonders what the Queen does independently anymore. It is sad to lower the monarchy to such a low state.

Monarchs have always been rather more Duty bound then free reign...

**English assassin** · 06-19-2007, 14:15

When a supposedly mainstream figure condemns the principles of free speech that he is supposed to uphold as a peer, it tends to confirm prejudices - which saddens me.

I've been thinking about this, and I think what we need is to annoy muslims* a lot more. There they are out their on a protest about Salman and burning the union jack when, wham, Paris Match publishes an unfunny cartoon about the prophet. Insult ! Just as they have gone home to get their tricoleurs to burn, and are on the way back to the demo, bam, a story breaks that a farmer in Bavaria has named his pig Mohammed. Blasphemer !! Then, when they are reeling from this, Pow, news just in, a library in New York has filed the Torah on a higher shelf than the Koran. Infidels !!! Biff, local rock radio in Ohio plays a track from Crusader by Saxon. Godless heathen !!!!

I'm thinking that at some point outrage fatigue has to set in, surely.

*all references to muslims in this post are to be taken to be to nutty easy to annoy muslims and not nice peaceful muslims.

**Petrus** · 06-19-2007, 14:36

Originally Posted by English assassin

I've been thinking about this, and I think what we need is to annoy muslims* a lot more. There they are out their on a protest about Salman and burning the union jack when, wham, Paris Match publishes an unfunny cartoon about the prophet. Insult ! Just as they have gone home to get their tricoleurs to burn, and are on the way back to the demo, bam, a story breaks that a farmer in Bavaria has named his pig Mohammed. Blasphemer !! Then, when they are reeling from this, Pow, news just in, a library in New York has filed the Torah on a higher shelf than the Koran. Infidels !!! Biff, local rock radio in Ohio plays a track from Crusader by Saxon. Godless heathen !!!!

I'm thinking that at some point outrage fatigue has to set in, surely.

*all references to muslims in this post are to be taken to be to nutty easy to annoy muslims and not nice peaceful muslims.

Good idea, but it may be unfair for the Bavarian pig that has nothing to do in this mess and would prefere to remain neutral and for the Ohio listeners that would have to support a saxon track.

But it must be possible to limit those measures to news agencie's dépêches to reach the same result so it that is not necessary to put in danger a honnest pig's life or innocent ears well being.

**HoreTore** · 06-19-2007, 15:49

I agree completely with Fragony. Unless he's knighted because of shock value, it's not deserved IMO. I've read 2 of his books, after the first one I simply thought hey, this must have been a bad period for him. After the second one, I decided that the period must have spanned his entire career.

**InsaneApache** · 06-19-2007, 10:08

I read The Satanic Verses when it first came out, living in Bradford you would, wouldn't you? I got about 4 chapters in and put it down, never to be opened again.

Still I least I gave it a stab, unlike the protesters who have not even seen a copy, never mind read one.

All this furore reminds me of the national viewers and listeners association who campaigned to get The life of Brian banned. They hadn't seen the film, but they thought it should be withdrawn from circulation.

As to the knighthood, my cheque to Tony must have got lost in the post!