Satanic Verses

History

• The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie's fourth novel. Its plot centres on two Indian Muslim characters who have an experience which causes them to struggle with life and their faith. Within the book are several dream sequences by the main character which retell the life of the prophet Muhammad and suggests that various aspects of his revelation are inaccurate or mistake.

• Given that Muslims believe that the Quran was recited directly to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel and is the literal word of God, many perceived those chapters in the Satanic Verses to be blasphemy. It was swiftly banned in most of the Muslim world and in countries with large Muslim minorities, such as India, and a fatwa was issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran calling for Rushdie's death.

• This issue is said to have ‘divided Muslims from Westerners along the fault line of culture' and pits the Western Value of freedom of expression against the view of many Muslims that nobody should be permitted to insult or malign the Muslim faith.

Case

• Salman Rushdie, the Booker prize-winning author of Midnight's Children as well and The Satanic Verses, which is banned in many countries including India, was slated to attend the Jaipur literature festival from 20 to 24 January 2012. At noon on the 20 January, Rushdie announced he was not going to attend because he had "been informed by intelligence sources that paid assassins from the Mumbai underworld were on their way to eliminate him". However, in an interview four days later, Rushdie said the original assassination threat had in fact been fabricated by someone within the intelligence agencies to coerce him into cancelling his trip.

• Rushdie's visit was also publicly opposed by several right-wing Islamic groups such as the Darul Uloom Deoband, as well as members of mainstream political parties including the Congress, which is in power in the state of Rajasthan (where Jaipur is located). After Rushdie cancelled his trip, the organisers promised he would join through a video link. Just hours before the video link was scheduled to commence, however, that too was cancelled due to security concerns.

Opinion

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