Subject: RE: Any Cat Fans?
From:
Jeri
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 09:26 AM
Wow. Only 24 years ago.Yusuf Islam Wants to See Salman Rushdie Burnt, Right?
Because of imaginary scenarios set by courthouse TV interviewers, in 1989 I was drawn into making stupid and offensive jokes about Rushdie on a program called, 'Hypotheticals'; however they were meant to lighten the moment and raise a smile – as good ol' British sense of humor occasionally is known to do unfortunately for me it didn't.
In 1989, during the heat and height of the Satanic Verses controversy, I was silly enough to accept appearing on a program called 'Hypotheticals' which posed imaginary scenarios by a well-versed (what if?) barrister, Geoffrey Robertson QC. I foolishly made light of certain provocative questions. When asked what I'd do if Salman Rushdie entered a restaurant in which I was eating, I said, I would probably call up Ayatollah Khomeini, and, rather than go to a demonstration to burn an effigy of the author, I jokingly said I would have preferred that it'd be the real thing쳌.
Criticize me for my bad taste, in hindsight, I agree. But these comments were part of a well-known British national trait; a touch of dry humor on my part.
...
Certainly I regret giving those sorts of responses now. However, it must be noted that the final edit of the program was made to look extremely serious; hardly any laughs were left in and much common sense was savagely cut out. Most of the Muslim participants in the program wrote in and complained about the narrow and selective use of their comments, surreptitiously selected out of the 3-hour long recording of the debate. But the edit was not in our hands. Balanced arguments were cut out and the most sensational quotes, preserved.
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sj
