Iran boycotts Frankfurt Book Fair over Salman Rushdie appearance

[webfact]

Iran boycotts Frankfurt Book Fair over Salman Rushdie appearance

FRANKFURT: -- Iran is boycotting this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair because of an appearance by British Indian author Salman Rushdie.

He was the subject of an Iranian death threat in 1989 for his book “The Satanic Verses,” which was deemed blasphemous by many Muslims.

So while publishing houses were busy stocking shelves ahead of the fair opening, Iran’s stand stood empty.

Fair director Juergen Boos said that he “was not happy with this boycott.”

“It means that we miss another opportunity to exchange views with the Iranian colleagues. But I am confident that our ideas can’t be killed,” he said.

Rushdie went into hiding for years after the 1989 fatwa. He has returned to making public appearances in recent times and is in Germany to promote a new book. “Two Years, Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights” – equal to the 1,001 nights of the famous Arabic tale – is a novel described as weaving together history, mythology and love.

The author has said in Frankfurt that limiting freedom of expression is not just censorship but “an assault on human nature.”

The Frankfurt Book Fair officially opens today (14 October) and last year attracted almost 270,000 visitors from 132 countries, according to organisers.

This year’s “guest of honour” is Indonesia.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-10-15

[Emster23]

This may mean less frothy bozos there to carry out fatwa (aka murder) on that brilliant writer. Or at least from Iran, which would give them "plausible deniability" if some Islamofascist does whack him.

[Cats4ever]

Iran backwards thinking and Oh so easily offended. There are some smaller groups, of other "faiths", who are similar.

Why can they not be certain of the rightness of their beliefs and treat criticism as misinformed ignorance. Maybe the certainty is

missing?

[MockingJay]

In stone age there were no book fairs - we have to understand that

[Ulic]

Iran attending the Frankfurt book fair. Really,....... really, why would they. Have they ever? What

did they buy in the past. A non story as far as I am concerned.

[Jingthing]

Good free publicity for the book fair!

[MZurf]

In stone age there were no book fairs - we have to understand that

Hard to have a fair when each book weighs hundreds of kgs!

Back on topic; I don't think they will be missed much.