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.