Pakistan is complaining about the recent award of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses (famed for its apparent disrespect of Islam).

“He was told that Salman Rushdie has been a controversial figure who is known less for his literary contribution and more for his offensive and insulting writing which deeply hurts the sentiments of Muslims all over the world,” she said.

“Conferment of a knighthood on Salman Rushdie shows an utter lack of sensitivity on the part of the British government,” she said.

I find this doublethink from religious leaders (not just Muslims) fascinating. As one example, Islam claims that Jesus was a prophet, a wise and blessed man. Christianity has many variations, but at the core of all is that Jesus Christ is the actual, for-real, not allegorical son of God. Islam’s denial of that is as big an insult to Christianity as I can imagine, but almost all all agree to get along (more or less). Yet a writer primarily famed for the fuss Muslims made over his writings is cause enough for hostility like this. Bizarre.

Some people would have you believe that this man is a murderer.

HT: Pharyngula)

It’s not that I want to dislike religion (I actually don’t want to have to think about religion at all), but when the Pope says something like this, it kind of pushes itself into my thoughts:

In a speech to Latin American and Caribbean bishops at the end of a visit to Brazil, the Pope said the Church had not imposed itself on the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

They had welcomed the arrival of European priests at the time of the conquest as they were “silently longing” for Christianity, he said.

Millions of tribal Indians are believed to have died as a result of European colonization backed by the Church since Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, through slaughter, disease or enslavement.

I get emailings from the don’t-deserve-a-link group the American Family Association. Such a name means one of two things, I’ll let you guess which is right:

a) A collection of concerned parents, community leaders etc. coming together to help families through times of trouble, perhaps by offering health care discounts, counseling services, or just an online meeting place to discuss issues.
b) A collection of Christianists who think that the homos are bent (snigger) on taking the sacred institution of marriage, (as defined by Christ, though ignoring the bit about divorce) away from decent, god-fearing American white people everywhere.

In case you’re still stuck, here’s a clue from the AFA’s most recent mailing:

In a show of support to help homosexuals legalize same-sex marriage, Wal-Mart has agreed to automatically donate 5% of online sales directly to the Washington DC Community Center for Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender People.

Damn those interior-decorating-nancy-boy-enabling monopsonist bastards! How many millions of dollars are going to be syphoned to those heathen GLBTs in DC? G-damnit, 5% of Wal-Mart’s online sales means they’re going to be one of the best funded charity in the US, there’ll be trannies in limos throughout the Capi… Wait, 5% of all online sales? That really is a lot for a single charity of any description. Let’s return to the AFA’s email:

The cash donation will come from online purchases made at Wal-Mart through the homosexual group’s Web site.

Ah. So basically they’ve been approved to join the Wal-Mart Affiliate Program. Huh. Well I could do that.