South African writer Zainub Priya Dala says she was forced into a mental hospital by her Muslim relatives to coerce her to withdraw her praise of Salman Rushdie.

This comes after fanatics tried to stab her on the street.

There is a strong current among Muslims of believing that people have no right to criticize their religion, or even talk about it lightly which is what Rushdie did. People who think that way are the enemies of human thought and human rights. They deserve the disgust of every decent person.

The same applies to some Christians who hold similar views. Even the Church of Emacs is not entitled to be immune from criticism.

"Hate speech" laws in many countries, that ban insults to religion, encourage fanatics to believe they are entitled to suppress criticism of their beliefs. These laws not only infringe freedom of expression directly, they encourage fanatics to go further.