Sir Salman Rushdie says we stay in an ‘age of offendedness’

Sir Salman Rushdie says we stay in an age of “offendedness” and “outrage identity” warning society faces the “old enemy of authoritarianism”.

The writer was discussing the rise in anti-democratic political actions. Sir Salman, 76, who was stabbed repeatedly final 12 months as he ready to present a chat in New York, spoke of the necessity to defend freedom of speech.

Appearing by video in the course of the National Constitution Centre’s First Amendment Summit, the Booker-Prize winner mentioned: “I think there’s a real rise in authoritarian movements around the world.

“Populist authoritarian demagoguery and coupled with that a willingness amongst, at least some parts of the population to cease to value the democratic values enshrined in the first amendment.

“So I think the problem is, I would now say, political more than primarily religious.”

Sir Salman spoke additional on America’s tendency in the direction of authoritarianism and mentioned: “I find it (attitudes in America) bewildering, and I think it has to do with two kinds of attack that have been unleashed. Not unsuccessfully in recent years. One is on the idea of education itself.”

He added that the opposite assault has been on the reality and mentioned: “One of the preconditions for the rise of authoritarian strongmen is that people cease to believe in the truth.

“People are told so often that what everything they’ve been told is a lie that they begin to internalise that, and at that point, the demagogue, the authoritarians can rise to speak and can say, ‘I am the truth. Believe me, because I am the truth.’

“That’s how dictatorships start. That’s how tyrannies rise and we’re seeing phenomenon like that in this country, but around the world as well.

“Those two attacks on the value of education and on the absolute value of the truth. Unfortunately, have been to some degree successful.”