Hanif Kureishi

Hanif Kureishi wrote My Son the Fanatic, and numerous other tales that often make him seem more of a prophet than a mere fictionalist in these dark days. But in his championship of critical thought he'd scoff at the label and ask that people copy his methods and not his prescriptions. Check out this essay in the Guardian:

This is what an effective multiculturalism is: not a superficial exchange of festivals and food, but a robust and committed exchange of ideas - a conflict that is worth enduring, rather than a war.

Indeed, this goes all ways. Until we are all willing to sit down and thoroughly understand both the genesis of our own often sheepish thoughts and the rationales faced by others, all the food fairs in the world won't bring us peace. (Though they won't hurt, either!) We've got to be willing to try on each other's shoes, not merely politely admire the label and style. If after an honest, good faith examination, you can sincerely claim your shoes fit better--all the more power to you.

I've mentioned The Chosen in this blog before; it was a profoundly influential book on me. In a free society you cannot protect your children from ideas. But those who would isolate their children to protect their religious beliefs are demonstrating an extreme lack of faith in those very religious beliefs. Political freedom, economic freedom---these are nothing compared to the power of intellectual freedom.

Link from Amardeep via Sepia Mutiny. 
¶ posted by Saheli | 2:00 PM