Imran Khan hits back at Salman Rushdie as the war of words continue
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan is locked in a bitter feud with author Salman Rushdie, accusing the controversial writer of having “the mindset of a small man.”
The pair have been exchanging harsh words since Khan refused to attend a conference in New Delhi with Sir Rushdie, saying that the would not appear with someone who offended the Muslim religion while being aware of the pain his book would cause.
The award-winning writer retaliated at the event by comparing the former sportsman to dictator Gaddafi.
He told a shocked audience if they “noticed a physical resemblance of Imran Khan and Gaddafi” and also described him as a potential dictator.
Speaking to Indian TV channel NDTV, Khan put the remarks down as “petty.”
He said, “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” and that he would not respond to comments that are ridiculous.
Khan said that no one should have the right to cause pain to other human beings and that Rushdie’s book, ‘The Satanic Verses’ mocked the Prophet and offended Muslims.
He said, “The Koran 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.”
The controversy surrounding the book has resulted in Salman spending a decade in hiding after the Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khoneini called for his death in 1989.
The writer was also forced to pull out of appearing at the Jaipur Literary Festival in January after fierce protests and death threats.
