Imran Khan terms Salman Rushdie a man with small mindset

Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has stoked his raising fight with Salman Rushdie, terming him a man with a small mindset.

Speaking to NDTV, the cricketer-turned politician explained the reason for not participating in the conference, saying he could not appear with a man who had offended the world’s Muslims.

Imran Khan and Salman Rushdie have exchanged harsh words since the former refused to share a platform with the controversial writer at a conference in New Delhi.

At the occasion, Rushdie went out of the way in describing Imran Khan. The divisive writer asked the audience if they noticed a physical resemblance of Imran Khan and Gaddafi, terming the Pakistani cricketer as a dictator-in-waiting.

He observed, “Immeasurable hurt is caused to the way in which Muslims are seen by the terrorists based in Pakistan, who act in the name of Islam, including those who attack this country from Pakistan, backed by the Lashkar-e-Taiba, with whom Imran Khan now wants India to sit down and talk”.

Imran said some of Rushdie’s statements didn’t merit an answer since they were absurd. He said the controversial writer was scorned by the ordinary people because he aped, ridiculed something that was dear to the Muslims.

He called Rushdie an extremist, saying that radicals cause soreness and that Rushdie was a rabid in a sense.

The cricketer-turned politician asserted, “Whatever little I thought him to be – a brain, an intellectual – but some of the remarks he made about me just reflected a mindset of a small man”.

Khan while explaining the situation showed stickiness to his decision not to appear alongside the contentious author and that there were limits to free speech.

He commented, “The Quran is a way of life. So when anyone attacks that, it causes immense pain to us. So whatever causes pain to such a large part of humanity, you should lay off the subject”.

Imran said many others citing urgent business made their no show in the event.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=16703

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 21 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.