Mob rule

When Salmon Rushdie’s book (The Satanic Verses) was published, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa. Rushdie went into hiding and survived, but a number of others died and there was widespread violence and rioting. But let’s fast forward twenty years and look at what happens today. For example, the Dutch politician Geert Wilders made a film (Fitna). The film is critical of Islam, and so it goes without saying a lot Muslims are very annoyed about it. Anyway, when he was invited to the UK to give a presentation, the British Government decided to ban him from entering the country. Muslims had threatened violence if Wilders came to the UK, and so the Foreign Secretary, David Milliband, surrendered to their threats and slammed the door on Wilders. In other words, who needs Ayatollahs, eh? I mean, if David Milliband and the British Government are going to dish out fatwas and surrender to the mob then what does that for anyone who now wants to publish anything critical of Islam? If Rushdie’s book was due to go on sale today, for instance, would Her Majesty’s Government let that happen, or would they have it banned and the author jailed?