For Shame (and for Grimus, too)

You'd think Nova Southeastern University in Florida would be celebrating its coup, getting Salman Rushdie to give their commencement address. And then you realize - hey, don't they have a crazy, culturally oversensitive International Muslim Association? Yes, they do.

Graduating senior Farheen Parvez said she and her family would boycott the graduation ceremony, scheduled for May 7 at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise.

"I was looking forward to my graduation, of course," said Parvez, a student leader and officer in the International Muslim Association at NSU. "Then when I found out that Salman Rushdie would be the speaker, I was appalled."

The complaints against Rushdie didn't seem to be going anywhere, but an ominous letter criticizing Rushdie inspired a Wednesday meeting between the school's dean and the complaining students.

Shikha Dalmia interviewed Rushdie for Reason in 2005.