U.K. Police Investigate Online Threat to J.K. Rowling

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The author of the “Harry Potter” books was threatened on Twitter after she posted condolences for the novelist Salman Rushdie, who was stabbed on Friday in western New York.

The threat was in response to J.K. Rowling’s tweet that the assault on the novelist Salman Rushdie was “Horrifying news.” | Neil Hall/EPA, via Shutterstock
The authorities in the United Kingdom said on Sunday that they were investigating an online threat against the author J.K. Rowling after she offered support on social media to Salman Rushdie, the novelist who was attacked last week at an event in western New York.

Hours after the attack on Mr. Rushdie, who was stabbed roughly 10 times as he prepared to speak at the Chautauqua Institution, Ms. Rowling tweeted her condolences. She first wrote on Twitter, “Horrifying news,” then added: “Feeling very sick right now. Let him be OK.”

In response, a user with the handle @MeerAsifAziz1 replied: “Don’t worry you are next.”

The tweet was later deleted, and the account was suspended by Sunday evening. » | Kurtis Lee | Sunday, August 14,2022

First Middle England, Now Rowling’s Novel Upsets Sikhs As Well

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: If the inhabitants of Middle England feel that JK Rowling has unfairly made them targets in her first novel for adults, they are not alone.

The Casual Vacancy is facing protests in India over its portrayal of a Sikh girl as “mustachioed yet large-mammaried”.

Sikh leaders said they were investigating complaints about the “provocative” language and would demand a nationwide ban on the book if Rowling was deemed to have insulted the faith.

The dissent is the latest negative reaction to greet The Casual Vacancy, which was published last week to mixed reviews.

Rowling has upset villagers in Tutshil, Gloucestershire, where she was raised and which she used as inspiration for her fictional town of Pagford, a hotbed of cruelty and snobbery.

The novel’s bleak subject matter, which includes child abuse, prostitution and drugs, has also presented a dilemma for parents whose children are clamouring to read the latest book from the writer of the Harry Potter series.

The Sikh character in The Casual Vacancy is Sukhvinder, the daughter of a surgeon and his parish councillor wife. She is teased for her hairy skin and referred to as “the Great Hermaphrodite” and a “hairy man-woman”. » | Dean Nelson, in New Delhi | Monday, October 01, 2012