Knighthood of Salman Rushdie the bombings of Al Qaeda? We say to Britain: The Emir of al Qaeda, Sheikh Osama, has once threatened you, and he carried out his threats. Today I say: Rejoice, by Allah, London shall be bombed." While some speculated that the bombing attempts "may have been revenge for the knighthood bestowed on author Salman Rushdie...there was no hard evidence of any motive." On 12 July 2007 "The Times of India" claimed "It was knighthood to writer Salman Rushdie, which has angered many radical Islamic groups, that forced alleged bomber Kafeel Ahmed to execute the Glasgow airport attack. Investigators have stumbled
Nicolas Walter on Salman Rushdie and his book "The Satanic Verses", Walter (along with William McIlroy) re-formed The Committee Against Blasphemy Law. It issued a "Statement Against Blasphemy Law", signed by more than 200 public figures. Walter and Barbara Smoker were attacked while counter-demonstrating during a Muslim protest against the book in May 1989. Walter's book "Blasphemy Ancient and Modern" put the Rushdie controversy into historical context. Walter also served as company secretary of G. W. Foote & Co., publishers of "The Freethinker", and was a Vice-President of the National Secular Society. Walter occasionally wrote or spoke about how secular humanists might