Politics

Hate-Speech Cinema Presents "Flying Korans kill infidel Salman Rushdie with lightnings and fire" (1990)

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As long as we're busy talking about hate speech and the need for censoring things that might give offense or result in hurt feelings, this seems like a good time to revisit the 1990 Pakistani epic, "International Gorillay (International Guerrillas)."

The clip above could really use a TCM-style Robert Osborne set-up, but in lieu of that, here's a YouTube writeup:

Description: Paranoid Lollywood fantasy about assassinating Salman Rushdie (circa 1990) complete with disco and batsuits. Salman Rushdie, played by Afzaal Ahmad, is depicted as plotting the downfall of Pakistan, the stronghold of Islam by opening a chain of casinos and discos in the country. The hero of the story, played by Mustafa Qureshi, learns of this plot and quits his day job as a police officer to recruit his brothers and create a mujahid (Gods soldiers) to pursue Rushdie and slay him. Rushdie is protrayed as a smug, bespectacled butcher in a double-breasted suit, living in palatial splendor on his own island, slaughtering his enemies with a huge blood-soaked sword. In the end, as the trio of brothers and their mother are being crucified by Rushdie, Allah frees them with bolts of lightning and attacks Salman Rushdie withy flying holy books (the Koran, Tawrat, Zabur, and Injil) that shoot laser beams into his skull until he bursts into flames, a scene that evoked shouts of approval from Pakistani audiences.

Hat Tip: Iowahawk, who would be required reading (if I believed in such a thing).

Related: Review of Salman Rushdie's new memoir.