Rushdie devides

Loud silence in defense of Rushdie.

If you're wondering why you haven't been able to follow all the columns and editorials in the American press denouncing all this homicidal nonsense, it's because there haven't been any. And, in that great silence, is a great scandal.

At least here, that has not been the case. Apart from editorials, 4 out of the 5 guests on Question Time defended Rushdie and the knighthood in strong terms. The exception was Shirley Williams with the weasely excuse of its 'timing'. Well, of course, Boris Johnson couldn't just agree with the 2 Hitchens and Minister Tony McNulty; he had to make the point that the honour should only be considered on literary grounds, and that as he couldn't finish any of Rushdie's books, he therefore wouldn't have granted the knighthood. However, there was no question of apologising.

Via Instapundit, who, with regard to the American silence, says

I think the best argument for electing a Democrat as President is that as long as a Republican is in office the media powers-that-be will refuse to condemn even the worst atrocities on the part of Islamists, for fear of helping the real enemy in the White House.

That rings true.