Yeesh. I'm going to have to buckle down and read Brick Lane.
From the Guardian:
But the lead convener of the Campaign Against Monica Ali's Film Brick Lane, officially launched yesterday, vowed to continue with the protest irrespective of where the movie is filmed. Abdus Salique threatened to burn Ali's book at a rally on Sunday which is expected to be attended by hundreds of protesters.
He said the rally would be peaceful, adding that he was trying to deter fringe elements - "who could become violent" - from attending. But he added: "[If] she has the right to freedom of speech, we have the right to burn books. We will do it to show our anger. We don't like Monica Ali. We are protecting our community's dignity and respect."
Have you even noticed that people never seem to come up with good names for groups like this? CAMAFBL? MOO may have been silly, but at least it was pronounceable. I'm also a big fan of the "subtle" threat of violence implied in Abdus Salique's statement. And of the fact that the group is claiming that young men in their community have been "bribed" to be extras in the film...
But, of course, my big issue is with the book burning. Last time I checked, book burners didn't really give off dignified-and-respected vibes. They gave off over-the-top-pro-censorship-crazy-people vibes. But hey. Maybe things have changed.