"Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms.…‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.”
Above: Salman Rushdie
“Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.”
– Salman Rushdie, whose 1989 book “The Satanic Verses” drew a death fatwa from Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhoallah Khomeini forcing Rushdie to go into hiding for many years, said in response to today's terror attack at the Paris offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.