WELL LOOK WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF THE ARTS & MEDIA SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HONOURS COMMITTEE

ROTHSCHILD!

I suggested Rushdie's knighthood was a "fuck you" to Islam. The response from Iran and Pakistan was predictable (by some, anyway).

============================

From http://www.honours.gov.uk/nominate/committees.aspx

Specialist Sub-Committees
Arts and Media

* Independent Chair: Lord Rothschild OM GBE, Chairman J Rothschild Group
* Non-civil service members: Jenny Abramsky CBE, Director of Radio and Music for the BBC; John Gross, author and former theatre critic of The Sunday Telegraph; Ben Okri OBE, novelist and poet; Andreas Whittam Smith CBE, journalist and former Editor of the Independent
* Permanent Secretary (Department for Culture, Media and Sport): Jonathan Stephens
* Permanent Secretary (Scottish Executive): Sir John Elvidge KCB

==============================

Michael White proposed the mechanism for the nomination of Rushdie to receive a knighthood.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2106901,00.htm

step 1. nomination from English PEN
A look at English PEN will show how that was started, and its presidents, from authors in the 1920's to Sir this, that and the other, to no one without an OBE or CBE or other honour.

step 2. consideration by the Arts & Media Sub-committee, where Rothschild comes in.

Just when tensions between Islam and the West need increasing along comes Rothschild.

'Ruddy marvellous!