Leave Sir Salman Alone

It's time for radical Muslims to get over themselves... again. There! I've said it.

Author Salman Rushdie has been chosen to receive a knighthood in Great Britain and, Iranian and Pakistani rabble rousers wasted no time in claiming insult.

For those who don't remember, there was a fatwa placed on Rushdie's life when he wrote The Satanic Verses in 1989. The reason was because Rushdie, in his work of fantastic fiction about the cosmic battle of good & evil, portrayed the Prophet Muhammad in an unfavorable light.

Look, if something insults your religion, you have fair cause to be pissy. But to turn it into a political incident is doing something far worse than an outsider making light of your Prophet... it's exploiting your Prophet for political gain.

When are the religious going to be able to take it on the other cheek? We live in a world with many different beliefs. Not everyone is going to subscribe to yours (nor should they). Whatever faith you align yourself with should be strong enough to withstand contrary opinions. Islam hasn't survived for this many centuries because it has feet of clay or a jaw of glass.

Now, we all know this outcry from Iran and Pakistan really has little to do with Rushdie's being honored. It's yet another way to voice their dissatisfaction with the West's action in their neighborhood (and I'll admit they have a long enough list). But this thing with Salman Rushdie is petty.

Evangelical Christians overreact like this all the time and they're bloody annoying. There's also been some overreactions from our own (Christian) President. Learn from their mistakes. Their errs don't give you license to be just as bad.

Realize there are going to be people who disagree with you, take comfort in the fact that your faith is impregnable to sticks and stones, and button it!

Congratulations, Sir Salman!!