The University of Vermont in Burlington invited Salman Rushdie to speak on campus Wednesday night, giving The Satanic Verses author a chance to deliver his most comprehensive response yet to the terrorist attack that targeting French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Rushdie used the opportunity to defend free speech as an absolute right that cannot be diminished just because you happen to disagree with what someone is trying to say. Salman Rushdie: ‘The Moment You Limit Free Speech It’s Not Free Speech’

Hundreds protesters rally against Islam in Czech capital

Hundreds of people are rallying in central Prague against Islam in a first such protest in the Czech Republic. Organizers from a group called “We do not want Islam in the Czech Republic,” which has more than 100,000 supporters on social media, say last week’s terror attacks in Paris prompted their protest. Waving Czech flags and banners that read “Islam is Evil,” or “Europe wake up,” the protesters honored Friday the 17 victims killed in the French capital.

Martin Konvicka, a leader of the group, says its aim is “to ban spreading and promoting of Islam.” Konvicka says it has no formal ties with PEGIDA, which organizes bigger anti-Islam marches in Germany. There were some heated exchanges between the group and two dozen counter-protesters. Hundreds protesters rally against Islam in Czech capital