Modern Liberty: free speech must be for all
The United Nations’ retreat from defending free expression is at odds with the concept of universal rights, says
Jo Glanville
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The Satanic Verses at 20
On 14 February 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran declared a death sentence on novelist Salman Rushdie after the publication of The Satanic Verses. Twenty years on Lisa Appignanesi, recalls how a ground-breaking, visionary novel was hijacked and transformed into an international political cause
Plus: Bernard-Henri Lévy says the fatwa marked a retreat from tolerance
Kenan Malik on why Rushdie’s critics won the war
Peter Mayer on how Penguin faced down the threats
Malise Ruthven describes a political storm
Salil Tripathi says religious offence stifles debate
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The ministry and the message
The curious case of Colonel Owen McNally, and the apparent attempt to smear human rights researcher Rachel Reid (right) take place within a wider crackdown on military and civilian personnel talking to the media in the run up to the next general election. It’s not only about stopping information getting out, but also making sure the right information gets out, says Chris Ames
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Iran: after the revolution
When Ayatollah Khomeini arrived in Tehran on 1 February 1979, a brief period of freedom for Iranians came to an end. Yassamine Mather
looks at the development of the Islamic Republic’s suppression of dissent
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