Bullying Quote by Christopher Hitchens
![“It [defending Salmon Rushdie] was, if I can phrase it like this, a matter of everything I hated versus everything I loved. In the hate column: dictatorship, religion, stupidity, demagogy, censorship, bullying and intimidation. In the love column: literature, irony, humor, the individual and the…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9d8/christopher-hitchens-117_bullying_it-defending-salmon-rushdie-was-if-i-can_1912195.jpg)
“It [defending Salmon Rushdie] was, if I can phrase it like this, a matter of everything I hated versus everything I loved. In the hate column: dictatorship, religion, stupidity, demagogy, censorship, bullying and intimidation. In the love column: literature, irony, humor, the individual and the defense of free expression.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public debate on Salman Rushdie, 2009
He contrasts his hatred for oppression with his love for literature and free expression, framing the conflict as a moral choice between authoritarianism and artistic freedom.
In simple terms: Oppression vs. art; choose freedom.
Key Takeaway
Defend free expression.
Themes
freedom
expression
literature
politics
human rights
Mood
defiant
passionate
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- activism
- writing
- journalism
- public speaking
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
censorship
individualism
artistic liberty
Questions to Reflect On
- What would you sacrifice for artistic freedom?
- How do you balance love for art with political realities?
A Different Perspective
Free expression can be threatened by powerful forces.
![“[T]he very multiculturalism and multiethnicity that brought Salman to the West, and that also made us richer by Hanif Kureishi, Nadeem Aslam, Vikram Seth, Monica Ali, and many others, is now one of the disguises for a uni culturalism, based on moral relativism and moral blackmail (in addition to…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/535/christopher-hitchens-117_illegal-immigration_t-he-very-multiculturalism-and-multiethn_2428300.jpg)
![“We [must] hold the just balance and set ourselves as resolutely against improper corporate influence on the one hand as against demagogy and mob rule on the other.” quote by Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/34a/theodore-roosevelt-218_balance_we-must-hold-the-just-balance-and-set-ou_1796965.jpg)
![“[O]nce demagogy and falsehoods become routine, there isn’t much for the political journalist to do except handicap the race and report on the candidate’s mood.” quote by George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aed/george-packer-2917_demagogy_o-nce-demagogy-and-falsehoods-become-rou_1510589.jpg)
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
![“[Religion] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we would not know an evil, wicked act from a decent human act without divine permission, without divine authority or without, even worse, either the fear of a…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab6/christopher-hitchens-117_action_religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integ_23299.jpg)
![“[Putin] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically.” quote by Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/83a/kelly-ayotte-18873_bully_putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-unders_13021.jpg)
