Kerby Anderson

A few months ago, I talked about how leftist groups were using a variation of the heckler’s veto. The heckler’s veto occurs when someone who disagrees with a speaker’s message triggers actions or protests to disrupt the event and get the speech cancelled. We have seen this tactic on university campuses primarily used against conservative speakers.

The latest version might be called the heckler’s veto fee. Universities fearing the actions of protesting groups, charge massive security fees to the sponsoring group. Since they cannot pay such outrageous sums, the speech is cancelled.

Now we have what some are calling an assassin’s veto that comes from radical Muslim groups. Perhaps the best know example is Salman Rushdie who was threatened decades ago for publishing The Satanic Verses. He had to go into hiding for decades but was nearly killed 34 years later at a literary festival in upstate New York.

Another would be Ayaan Hirsi Ali who criticized Islam and has faced death threats. Her colleague and filmmaker, Theo van Gogh, was murdered for collaborating on a movie about Islam with her.

More recently Douglas Murray was forced to cancel an event in a London theater. The theater refused to host a pro-Israel program of his because of violent threats against their staff.

Mike Freer has been a member of British parliament for 14 years and represents a part of London where many Jewish people live. He announced he will no longer seek reelection because of violent threats against him and his loved ones.

This is, unfortunately, the world we live in today. We will need courage to speak the truth because many will use harsh and dangerous tactics against those who speak the truth.