Althouse: "If PEN as a free-speech organisation can’t defend and celebrate people who have been murdered for drawing pictures, then frankly the organisation is not worth the name."

April 27, 2015

"If PEN as a free-speech organisation can’t defend and celebrate people who have been murdered for drawing pictures, then frankly the organisation is not worth the name."

"What I would say to both Peter [Carey] and Michael [Ondaatje] and the others is, I hope nobody ever comes after them."

Said Salman Rushdie (after whom somebody has come).

31 comments:

damikesc said...: Agreed. A free speech group that has members who feel it is wrong to honor people who died exercising free speech because they don't approve of it --- is a useless group.

Where did this "Satire must 'punch up'" nonsense come from?; 4/27/15, 4:56 PM
Sebastian said...: Rushdie speaks hard-earned truth.

Calling out the dhimmis is a public service.

I wonder how long PEN will keep it up, as free speech becomes non-PC.

Free suggestion for an enterprising PEN member: Rotherham seems a promising subject for a novel.; 4/27/15, 4:59 PM
The Bergall said...: So much for principles......; 4/27/15, 5:01 PM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: If PEN is willing to write me a big, fat check beforehand, I'll set my mind to whipping up a batch of free-speech that'll set the world on fire.

Call me.; 4/27/15, 5:02 PM
buwaya said...: PEN did award Hebdo.
Lots of controversy beforehand though.
And a bunch of boycotters afterwards.; 4/27/15, 5:05 PM
traditionalguy said...: The group chanting proclamations of power from public places will silence the weak submissives who stay silent every time. That is how spiritual authority works.; 4/27/15, 5:10 PM
rcocean said...: PEN has never been a "Free-speech" organization. Its a Left-wing organization. And like most left-wing organization when its stated public principles clash with Leftism, the public principles go in the trash can.

See also: Feminists and Clinton, ZPG and Environmentalists and Open borders.; 4/27/15, 5:17 PM
buwaya said...: To repeat,

PEN did give its award to Hebdo.

Yes they are mostly idiot lefties (like Rushdie himself) and they have a long history of fellow-travelling and etc.

But this one time, and a few other cases, they did do the right thing. Thats why many of their even more idiotic members are complaining.; 4/27/15, 5:33 PM
Big Mike said...: Good on PEN for making the award to Charlie Hebdo and even better that they chose to go forward with it in the face of a tiny but vociferous group who cower in fear of Islam's tendency to censor with murderous violence.; 4/27/15, 5:37 PM
chuck said...: Good for Rushdie. He has somewhat of a mixed history on the subject, but this time he got it right. Usually, asking an intellectual to get your back means you are going to get an icepick in a kidney.; 4/27/15, 5:43 PM
The Godfather said...: If the question was whether or not to honor the mag for its own "merits", I think a good case could be made for "No". But after the Islamists murdered them, a lover of free expression can only answer "Yes".; 4/27/15, 6:27 PM
Michael said...: Those winters don't want their heads chopped off or their children's' schools bombed or their wives kidnapped or their husbands castrated.

They are all for, all for, free speech. And keeping their heads.

Insane violence is effective. Very.

Now we turn to the pretzel logic of why they are climbing on higher horses.; 4/27/15, 7:33 PM
George Grady said...: Why do so many people insist on pretending that Islam is not one of the world's powers? That critiquing it isn't "punching up"? I mean, even if you're going to insist that satire requires "punching up", Islam is certainly fair game.; 4/27/15, 8:22 PM
n.n said...: In America, the Charlie Hebdo publisher would be classified as a hate group. Not the least for their gratuitous attacks on minorities.

Bigotry (i.e. sanctimonious hypocrisy) is a fine line crossed frequently by progressives in liberal societies. They should remain wary that pro-choice or selective principles do not protect their casual forays into discrimination, including selective exclusion.; 4/27/15, 8:30 PM
Gabriel said...: I personally find creationism to offensive to me. But if the Discovery Institute or Answers in Genesis were to be firebombed for expressing creationism, then I would personally repost their writings on the topic.

Not because I would then endorse what they're peddling, but because civilized people cannot allow the answer to speech to be violence.

They can't kill everyone. They want to kill a few of us to terrify the rest into self-censorship. That has always been the goal.; 4/27/15, 8:33 PM
Static Ping said...: So there is some hope in this world.; 4/27/15, 8:49 PM
Marc in Eugene said...: My admittedly vague recollection is that PEN did right by Aleksandr Solzjenitsyn when it counted. 'Six authors in search of a bit of character', ha; am not one of Rushie's 'fans' but am going to follow his Twitter feed.; 4/27/15, 9:28 PM
sean said...: I'll bet a majority of Wisconsin professors wouldn't attend a banquet honoring Charlie Hebdo. But it's convenient to ignore the plank in your own eye, and focus on the mote in someone else's.; 4/27/15, 9:33 PM
Graham Powell said...: I nearly joined the Internet lynch mob over the Pen Six, and I loathe Internet lynch mobs.; 4/27/15, 9:56 PM
David said...: I have a high regard for Francine Prose, an excellent writer and independent thinker. I will be interested to see if she has more to say about this than the rather unpersuasive quote ascribed to her.; 4/27/15, 10:10 PM
William said...: While taking a stand against the Charley Hebdo murderers is a contentious and divisive issue, it s comforting to note that PEN members are nearly unanimous in their condemnation of pizza parlors who don't want to cater to gay weddings. That's an example of punching up against the powerful and the cosseted.; 4/27/15, 10:12 PM
Lydia said...: David said: I have a high regard for Francine Prose, an excellent writer and independent thinker. I will be interested to see if she has more to say about this than the rather unpersuasive quote ascribed to her.

Prose spoke in more depth on Canadian radio:

"Free speech is indivisible. If you believe in free speech you believe in any sort of free speech -- that you can say anything you want. And that's absolutely what I believe in and I would include in that everything Charlie Hebdo has done."

But she says that doesn't mean Charlie Hebdo deserves the award.

"We defend the right of neo-nazis to march through Skokie, Illinois but that doesn't mean we give them an award."

Prose says that there are other journalists who are more deserving of the award.

"This is an award that should be given to equally brave journalists...There are journalists being killed in the Middle East. There are journalists being killed every day in Mexico, who are doing work that needs to be done because people need to hear about the truth they are reporting and what's happening in other parts of the world. I don't quite understand the absolute necessity of the work that Charlie Hebdo did."

The move by Prose and the others to boycott the event has been met with criticism, most notably from author Salman Rushdie. ...

Rushdie tweeted: "The award will be given. PEN is holding firm. Just 6 pussies. Six Authors in Search of a bit of Character."

In response, Prose, tells Off that the writers are standing up for what they believe in -- and says Rushdie's tweet is sexist.

"I think it's a sexual insult...And think it was careless and I think Salman regrets it. It was in a tweet. But nonetheless I think it's an unfair word to use...Why is our behaviour a sign of weakness? We've all caught a great deal of flack for this. If we wanted to be weak we could have just said, you know what I have another engagement I forgot about that night." ...

But Prose tells Off her message is that a central question needs to be asked about why the award is being given to Charlie Hebdo now.

"I think it very conveniently feeds into the larger political narrative which is the narrative of white Europeans being killed by Muslim extremists... I'm not coming out in favour of terrorism obviously. (But this idea) is such a popular one in the media and politically. That fear has been used so well to justify various political policies of our government and other governments. The popularity of that narrative, and the easiness of that narrative, and also the emotionality that surrounds it means it's a very different story than other stories that could have been honoured and awarded."; 4/27/15, 10:45 PM
Jimmy said...: Intellectuals are often the first to hop on the totalitarian bus. In russia, germany, as well as england and the usa.
not so quick to get dirty, or be uncomfortable due to things like war, revolution, hunger etc.
Seeing themselves as duty bound to educate the masses, they are immune to criticism, or the consequences of their actions.
If this nation, or any other, depended on them for its survival-good luck.
With the recent PC revolution, they are clearly in their preferred environment.
Most spend a great deal of our money producing a product that has a shelf life of a few seconds, at a dollar store.
Intellectual masturbation is all the rage. Too bad it has such tragic consequences for the rest of us.; 4/27/15, 10:51 PM
mccullough said...: Canadian and British writers. Boring; 4/27/15, 10:54 PM
Drago said...: Simply another case of "courageous" lefties taking time out from bravely confronting Christians to defer to the murderous islamists.; 4/27/15, 11:04 PM
n.n said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/28/15, 12:11 AM
Brando said...: "Where did this "Satire must 'punch up'" nonsense come from?"

It's typical social justice folderol. It has nothing to do with humor or satire at all, just a way of saying "the only things that are acceptable are those that support our political slant." This is also a hallmark of totalitarianism.; 4/28/15, 5:44 AM
Brando said...: It's fine to say "I'm offended by this" or "I don't like this" while at the same time defending whatever "this" is on free speech grounds. But we should never qualify our defense of free speech to make exceptions where we don't like the speech itself. Your own preferred speech is only as protected as that you find offensive.; 4/28/15, 5:47 AM
Michael said...: Prose does not want to feed the narrative that this is all only about caring that white Europeans being killed by Muslim extremists.

Because that isn't what actually happened? Naw. Just a Narrative."

These people are barking crazy.; 4/28/15, 6:03 AM
David said...: Thanks Lydia, Francine Prose is saying that PEN made the trendy choice, and Francine loves to skewer trendy. I am still prepared to respect her in the morning.; 4/28/15, 6:33 AM
Bill Peschel said...: "Why is it being given now?"

Which way did she want to go? Give it while the blood was still fresh on the ground? When everyone has forgotten why they were murdered?

How about never? Was never good enough for Francine Prose?

Fuck her. She should quit PEN if she had the balls. Is that sexist enough for her?; 4/28/15, 4:19 PM