Black Sheep & Exploding Turbans
May 2, 2010 | powerHouse Arena | NYC
With Paul Berman, Alina Bronsky, Sadanand Dhume, Peter Stamm, and Janne Teller; moderated by Jamal Mahjoub
Co-sponsored by powerHouse Arena and Guernica: A Magazine of Art and Politics
LISTEN | Download the mp3
The violent reaction four years ago to the publication in Denmark of a series of satirical cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed suggests that the cultural divisions highlighted 20 years ago by The Satanic Verses controversy have intensified rather than dissipated. Europe is currently facing what some call its biggest challenge: trying to come to terms with its Muslim minority. Across the continent, debates over the veil, the burka, and more recently the Swiss referendum banning the building of minarets, have prompted passionate, often violent responses. What are the consequences of this, for Europe and for literature, in a society that appears to be segregating along sectarian and racial lines and where intolerance is increasing on both sides of the divide?