Rarely does an individual like Christopher Hitchens come along who can speak with such intellectual vigor on a variety of topics, from politics and religion to literature and philosophy. While he has been both a lauded and controversial figure throughout his 40-year career as an author, journalist and critic, Hitchens’ influence among his peers is undeniable.
Christopher Hitchens
On November 9, FORA.tv featured a special event presented by Intelligence²: Stephen Fry and Friends on the Life, Loves and Hates of Christopher Hitchens. In one evening the likes of scientist Richard Dawkins, actor Sean Penn and writers Salman Rushdie and Martin Amis came together to pay tribute to their friend, who is suffering from cancer and was recently hospitalized with pneumonia. Hitchens himself joined the event virtually by emailing comments and participating in the live chat.
Even though Hitchens is often labeled a polemic figure, UK television personality Stephen Fry said his contrarian approach is a direct result of his deep intellectual commitment to personal causes such as the Iraq War and atheism. “The first thing I want to disabuse you of is the notion that [Hitchens] is a humorless, political and utterly sanctimonious figure as he is sometimes painted,” Fry explained. “He pours his energies and talents in a thousand directions with the belief that a true thing badly expressed is no more than a lie.”
Throughout his career, Hitchens has been a scathing critic of several prominent public figures like George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton and even Mother Teresa. Fry spoke with Sean Penn on why Hitchens fierce attack on one of the most powerful men in American history, Henry Kissinger, served as inspiration for the actor. “It was his book The Trial of Henry Kissinger that led me to follow him, but also the magnificence of his language and the clarity of his thought that are of particular interest to me and to those of us in America who often undervalue these types of intellectual pursuits,” said Penn.
Even though Hitchens has relied on his remarkable command of the English language to convey his thoughts, his detractors often describe him as offensive. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins said he and Hitchens wear the offensive badge with honor. “One of the great problems in this world is that we’re expected to be respectful all the time, whether respect is deserved or not,” Dawkins said. “I don’t see any reason to do that if offense is deserved.”
Salman Rushdie, whose controversial book The Satanic Verses offended many in the Muslim world, found an ally in Hitchens when the Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the murder of the author. Rushdie explained that the primitive reaction by Khomeini was a seminal moment in their friendship. “What got up [Hitchens’] nose was the idea that an aging zealot in an antique land could sentence to death someone across the world for the crime of writing a book,” he said. “Because of that event, he became an extraordinary ally and he was at the heart of that struggle. Being grateful to him understates what I feel.”
Watch the entire Intelligence² event on Christopher Hitchens on demand at FORA.tv.