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Las Vegas to Become America's First 'City Of Asylum' for Persecuted Writers

The program grew from the plight of Salman Rushdie, who was sentenced to death by religious extremists for his book, "Satanic Verses." The writers group organized unofficial asylum for Rushdie in Strasbourg, France.

"It has taken the United States quite a while to embrace this particular cause of providing a refuge for persecuted writers and artists," Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka said in a statement. He is president of the International Parliament of Writers. He was imprisoned in Nigeria for supporting the Biafran separatist movement.

"Las Vegas has finally taken the lead in the United States, which is hardly surprising," Soyinka said. "It only conforms to the tradition of other nations, such as the United Kingdom, where the greatest sponsorship of the arts comes from the national lottery. We can only hope that other cities will follow and strengthen this net of creative solidarity in other parts of the United States."

The program is privately funded by the sponsoring community. Mandalay Resort Group will provide seed money to help launch Las Vegas as a City of Asylum.

"More and more, Las Vegas has become a cultural destination," said Glenn Schaeffer, president of Mandalay Resort Group. "And as much as any city in America, we stand for freedom of expression."

The organization explained the program in a statement: "The sponsor city provides a home, transportation, work space and a modest stipend for one year for a writer who is single; two years for a writer with family.

"After the term is up, the city agrees to assist the writer should he or she choose to stay in their adopted country. Sponsored writers typically come from countries where freedom of speech is suppressed, and often punished with imprisonment or death."

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said, "This development is an important milestone in the cultural evolution of Las Vegas."

A fundraising drive has begun to ensure the survival of the program. Volunteers can contact the organization at City of Asylum-Las Vegas, 3540 W. Sahara Ave. #447, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 or via e-mail at cityofasylumlv@yahoo.com.

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