| re: .0
and tortures her by
reading passages from his controversial novel, "The
Satanic Verses," which is regarded as blasphemous by
many Moslems...
Hmmp, if he really wanted to torture her, he'd read passages from
the VMS documentation set.
Martin.
|
|
It seems "International Guerrillas" is back in the news. Here's a copy
of a report I picked up from s.c.j. (My guess is that it actually *will*
be "appearing soon at a theater near you."):
From the 'Independent', 23-7-90:
Rushdie opposes banning of 'revenge' film
*****************************************
Salman Rushdie believes a film depicting Muslim revenge against him for
writing 'The Satanic Verses' should not be banned, according to his
supporters.
In a statement last night Frances D'Souza, chairperson of the Rushdie
Defence Committee, said that Mr Rushdie believed 'International Guerrillas',
the film banned by the British Board of Film Classification, "should be in
the public domain so that any libel or offence may be dealt with according
to the due process of law".
But the BBFC said it had banned the film because it had been advised that it
presented "a prima facie case of criminal libel on a British citizen, Salman
Rushdie, and that the libel is a serious one".
"We are also informed that there can be no defence under Article 10 of the
European Convention on Human Rights which specifies that the the exercise of
the right to freedom of expression may be subject to such 'restrictions or
penalties as are prescribed by law... for the protection of the rights of
others...'."
The board said that if the film was altered to remove any libel, the
distributor could resubmit it.
But Ms D'Souza said that regardless of its content, the film should be
shown. "It is debatable whether the film, which was to be distributed
mainly in video form, would expose Mr Rushdie to public hatred. It is
also debatable whether the majority of British Muslims would condone, let
alone support, its message."
Moderate and militant Muslims deplored the ban on the Pakistan-made epic as
"hypocritical".
It emerged yesterday that prominent British Jews played a part in the
banning of the film.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews lobbied the BBFC over the film which,
in addition to showing the death of Mr Rushdie by lightning-bolt, has the
author of the Satanic Verses murdering crucified Muslims with the help of
Israeli bodyguards. Greville Janner, MP for Leicester West and a prominent
campaigner on Jewish matters, also called for the film to be banned.
The BBFC has, as revealed in 'The Independent on Sunday', refused
distribution rights on the film after advice that it could contravene
criminal libel law, under which a defamatory statement may be judged liable
to cause a breach of the peace.
Mr Rushdie has been in hiding since the Ayatollah Khomeini pronounced a
death sentence on him for writing 'The Satanic Verses', which is regarded
by Muslims as blasphemous.
A Muslim group failed to mount a High Court prosecution against the book
under the law of blasphemous libel when it was decided that such a law
applied only to Christianity.
Mohammed Siddique, president of the Bardford-based Muslim Youth Movement,
has watched a copy of the film. He said it could incite violence, as had
"The Satanic Verses", and that both should be banned.
On the film's anti-Semitism, Mr Siddique said: "Muslims on the whole feel
that there is a large-scale conspiracy, an international one." He said
that Muslims generally believed the conspiracy was Jewish-led because "the
Koran is desecrated in Palestine by Israeli security forces".
Dr Lionel Kopelowitz, president of the Board of Deputies, welcomed the ban
last night: "Jews do not desecrate the Koran, the Old Testament or the
sacred books of any faiths."
The president of the Bradford Council of Mosques, Sher Azam, said yesterday:
"I do not see any reason why the book stays in circulation while the film
is banned."
Asian video shops in London and Bradford reported high demand for the film.
At the Brick Lane Music House in east London, an assistant said a large order
had been put in for copies of the video because people were "dying to get
hold of it".
Pirated copies are believed to be widely available in Bradford and Leeds.
|
| re .3
From the 'Independent', 23-7-90:
Rushdie opposes banning of 'revenge' film
*****************************************
>But the BBFC said it had banned the film because it had been advised that it
>presented "a prima facie case of criminal libel on a British citizen, Salman
>Rushdie, and that the libel is a serious one".
Notice in the above that the scenes in the film showing the desecration
of the Koran by Israelis was NOT given as one of the reasons for the ban.
I find this very disturbing, because it makes me wonder if the
British film sensors take the law against inciting racial hatred
seriously.
I would like to know that if Salman Rushdie was not threatened would
the film have been released? (I do not think that Salman Rushdie
would be in greater personal danger by showing this film. I do think
that the film's reported contents would incite racial hatred against
Jews, and therefore would increase the danger to Jewish people if
shown).
It emerged yesterday that prominent British Jews played a part in the
banning of the film.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews lobbied the BBFC over the film which,
in addition to showing the death of Mr Rushdie by lightning-bolt, has the
author of the Satanic Verses murdering crucified Muslims with the help of
Israeli bodyguards. Greville Janner, MP for Leicester West and a prominent
campaigner on Jewish matters, also called for the film to be banned.
Please note:
o the language of this reporting, and how it makes the role of British
Jews sound like a conspiracy.
o that the reasons that the representatives of the Jewish community
lobbied for the film to be banned were not given.
o "The Board of Deputies of British Jews" is mentioned without saying
that they are the official representatives of the Jewish community.
On the film's anti-Semitism, Mr Siddique said: "Muslims on the whole feel
that there is a large-scale conspiracy, an international one." He said
that Muslims generally believed the conspiracy was Jewish-led because "the
Koran is desecrated in Palestine by Israeli security forces".
Is it surprising that with reporting, as shown above in
"The Independant" that the feeling of conspiracy is felt?
|