Reply #24: it is not tangential [View All]

[gottaB]

It speaks to his credibility, and whether he in fact supports terrorism.

Secondarily, it speaks to the issue of presenting an image of Islam to the rest of the world. Yusuf Islam's friends and supporters claim he represents moderate, mainstream Islam, not religious fanatics. Religious fatwas against authors, however, severely limit the free expression of Muslims, and lead to a distorted perception of Islam. Indeed they do violence to the message and practice of Islam.

It's not just about Rushdie. Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, for instance, was knifed in the throat after a fatwa was issued against him by Omar Abdul-Rahman. Authors such as Nawal El-Saadawi and academics such as Nasr Hamed Abu Zeid have been persecuted by clerical authorities.

If one is examining the claim that Yusuf Islam represents the pussycat face of Islam, one must consider the implications of his support for the fatwa against Rushdie (taking into account all of his various endorsements and repudiations), and weigh that against his advocacy for the young and vulnerable.