Quote by Naguib Mahfouz, AlAhram, March 2
I have condemned Khomeini's fatwa to kill Salman Rushdie as a breach of international relations and as an assault on Islam as we know it in the era of apostasy. I believe that the wrong done by Khomeini towards Islam and the Muslims is no less than that done by the author himself. As regards freedom of expression, I have said that it must be considered sacred and that thought can only be corrected by counter-thought. During the debate, I supported the boycott of the book as a means of maintaining social peace, granted that such a decision would not be used as a pretext to constrain thought.
Summary
In this quote, the author expresses their condemnation of Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwa calling for the killing of Salman Rushdie. They argue that the fatwa not only undermines international relations but also assaults Islam by promoting punishments for apostasy. The author further contends that Khomeini's actions are equally damaging to Islam as Rushdie's alleged offense. They believe that freedom of expression should be treated as sacred and that opposing thoughts should be used to rectify one's perspective. While they supported the boycott of Rushdie's book for the sake of social peace, they caution against it being used as a pretext to suppress alternative viewpoints.
Topics
Thought
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