Rushdie criticizes Sikh play closure

British author Salman Rushdie, who went into hiding for years after Iran’s leader ordered him killed in 1989, assailed Britain for allowing angry Sikh groups to force the cancellation of a play.

A theater in Birmingham canceled the play “Behzti” (Dishonor), described as a black comedy depicting murder and rape within the Sikh community, after a protest by Sikh demonstrators turned violent Dec. 18.

The play’s author, Gupreet Kaur Bhatti, herself a Sikh, has gone into hiding after receiving death threats.

“It is pretty terrible to hear government ministers expressing approval of the ban and failing to condemn the violence, when they should be supporting freedom of expression,” Rushdie told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

“If being upset is the only requirement to banning something, there will be nothing in the theaters.”