Salman Rushdie among writers urging Sony to release "The Interview"

Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman and Tony Kushner are among the writers who signed a PEN American Center petition urging Sony Pictures to make "The Interview" widely available.

Sony announced last week it had called off the scheduled Christmas release of the North Korea satire following hacker threats of violence against theaters showing the film. Monday's petition from PEN, a literary and human rights organization, said that pulling "The Interview" would be a "lasting blow" to free expression.

Rushdie, a former PEN president, faced dire threats 25 years ago after the publication of "The Satanic Verses." The novel was condemned as blasphemous by some Muslims, and Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for Rushdie's death. The PEN petition noted that "The Satanic Verses" continued to be published and sold.

Last week, George Clooney criticized Hollywood for not standing by Sony Pictures in the wake of the cyberattack on the studio. He also revealed that he circulated a petition asking industry power players to back Sony in not submitting to the hackers' demands -- and not a single person would sign it.

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