Even comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean, Blackadder) is concerned with political correctness regarding Muslims, Islam, Mohammed and the Qur'an from what I gather. Restricted laws would cause —
"a veneer of tolerance concealing a snake pit of unaired and unchallenged views."
Publishers, such as Random House, fear zealous Muslims, therefore they refuse to publish works that criticize or misconstrue the prophet, the written words, and so forth. "Jewel of Medina" by Sherry Jones a historical romance novel about Mohammed's wife was rejected, likely for the safety of employees and people associated with distribution.
People were threatened and murdered when Ayatollah Khomenei of Iran ordered Salman Rushdie's death because of his novel "Satanic Verses" which virtually started the bounties against blasphemy.
"Throughout the Muslim world, Sunni, Shia, and Sufi Muslims may be persecuted for differing from the version of Islam promulgated by locally hegemonic religious authorities. Saudi Arabia represses Shiites, especially Ismailis. Iran represses Sunnis and Sufis. In Egypt, Shia leaders have been imprisoned and tortured."
- In Afghanistan, Shia scholar Ali Mohaqeq Nasab, editor of Haqooq-i-Zen magazine, was imprisoned by the government for publishing “un-Islamic” articles that criticized stoning as a punishment for adultery.
- Saudi democracy activists Ali al-Demaini, Abdullah al-Hamed, and Matruk al-Faleh were imprisoned for using “un-Islamic terminology,” such as “democracy” and “human rights,” when calling for a written constitution.
- Saudi teacher Mohammed al-Harbi was sentenced to 40 months in jail and 750 lashes for “mocking religion” after discussing the Bible in class and making pro-Jewish remarks.
- Egyptian Nobel prize winner in literature Naguib Mahfouz reluctantly abandoned his lifelong resistance to censorship and sought permission from the clerics of Al-Azhar University to publish his novel Children of Gebelawi, hitherto banned for blasphemy. Mahfouz subsequently lived under constant protection after being stabbed by a young Islamist, leaving him partly paralyzed.
- After Mohammed Younas Shaikh, a member of Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission, raised questions about Pakistan’s policies in Kashmir, he was charged with having blasphemed in one of his classes.
- In Bangladesh, Salahuddin Choudhury was imprisoned for hurting “religious feelings” by advocating peaceful relations with Israel.
- In Iran, Ayatollah Boroujerdi was imprisoned for arguing that “political leadership by clergy” was contrary to Islam, and cleric Mohsen Kadivar was imprisoned for “publishing untruths and disturbing public minds” after writing Theories of the State in Shiite Jurisprudence, which questioned the legal basis of Ayatollah Khomeini’s view of government.
The above is from the adaptation of a speech on Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College by Paul Marshall, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, and co-author of "Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphmy Codes are Choking Freedom Worldwide".There are many more Muslims threatened by Muslims you might either read or listen to the speech by Paul Marshall.
“Blasphemy and Free Speech” video - Paul Marshall
http://kirbycenter.hillsdale.edu/page.aspx?pid=836
Adaptatiion of Blasphemy and Free Speech from Imprimis
http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=2012&month=02
The West Is Choked by Fear - Henryk M. Broder, Spiegel Online
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,669888,00.html
I suppose I might have difficulty with some publishers regarding my historical fiction novel— "Barbarians" — where women Mongol warriors in the nomad army defeated Muslims. Women as soldiers bothered them then and now.
Israel has women in the forces. How disgusting Muslims must think, even more disgusting since they lost wars to women, too.
