World law conference

: Britain. No one can accuse the Queen of ingratitude, even if it be to reward treachery. Shami Chakrabarti, a young barrister and the dynamic director of the human rights group Liberty, who has been a constant critic of the government, was a worthy recipient. Her reaction was typical: “I am not the most predictable choice and no one was more surprised than me.” Tolerance of criticism underlies this award, which is heartening.

Salman Rushdie received a knighthood for services to literature, not for his book, The Satanic Verses, which understandably is offensive and hurtful to the religious sentiments of the Muslims who take their religion seriously. Curiously, secular India was the first country to ban The Satanic Verses. Rushdie’s award has led to calls for execution of the fatwa against him. It has provoked riots and demonstrations in Iran and Pakistan because the knighthood is considered an insult to Islam. This is ridiculous. A prize of 80,000 pounds has been put by some persons on Rushdie’s head, which is despicable. Right-thinking Muslims should condemn rather than explain away such reactions, the acme of intolerance and fanaticism. Why is it forgotten that Rushdie is also the author of Midnight’s Children and The Moor’s Last Sigh, which have fine literary qualities.

Perils of short skirts

Women of a major law firm in London have been warned about wearing skirts while taking the glass lift in the office because they would be showing more than they would have liked to diners on the ground floor and thereby inadvertently ‘entertaining’ them. No such problems can arise in the case of jeans or salwar kameez or a traditional sari. ...

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