Sticks, Stones and Religion

I bought Sherry Jones'es The Jewel of Medina for the same reason
as I bought the first edition of Rushdie's Satanic Verses.

Attempts to murder Rushdie seemed to me to be
an attempt to kill off the right to freedom of speech as well
as Salman Rushdie himself. Setting
fire to the home/office of the London publisher who decided to publish
the Jewel of Medina is in a similar category. Buying the books
is the best way of preserving the freedom.

Satanic Verses as a work of literature took some reading
and in the end I couldn't see what all the fuss was about.
At first glance The Jewel of Medina seems far more light weight
a novel. Not something which God is likely to be too bothered
by, any more than he is by say "Father Ted" or the "Life of Brian".

I shall try to read it and may be post again but buying the book
is the best response to those who under the guise of religion,
seek to bully, using threats of violence and even death.

As grandmother (RIP) used to say:

"Sticks and stones may hurt your bones but words will never hurt thee."