Salman Rushdie blasts intelligent design

Rushdie, speaking at the Lied Center at an event sponsored by the Hall Center for the Humanities, warned against religious extremism and the emergence of religion in matters of public policy, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.

"I would really love never to mention that word again: religion," Rushdie said. "But now it seems to be coming right at us all. I don’t just mean radical Islam, by the way. I believe we have some problems right here."

The Kansas Board of Education is expected to vote later this year on new science standards that, if approved, will expose students to greater criticism of Darwinism. The move, pushed by a conservative majority on the state board, has drawn criticism from groups that endorse evolution and who describe intelligent design as a mere variant of creationism.

"I never had any doubts about evolution theory," he said. "I gather there are parts of Kansas where the big bang did not take place."

In reaction the founder of the Moral Majority, Jerry Fallwell, made a call for the assassination of Salman Rushdie. "In the name of Jesus I would like to inform all intrepid Christians around the world that this author is in opposition to an intelligent designer and is sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Christians to execute him quickly so no one will dare insult our creator." [Source]

Oh wait, the last part didn’t happen. Now you just got to love a place called the "Lied Center" which is a center for performing arts at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. I think this is a appropriate name for where to stage political debates.