Rushdie wrote ‘The Satanic Verses’ about 34 years ago in 1988, after which he received several years of death threats for writing the book.
Controversial elements in ‘The Satanic Verses’
The title of the book ‘Satanic Verses’ has created concern and protest among Muslims.
According to Muslims, the angel Jibril (Gabriel in English) met the Prophet Muhammad, who recited the words of God to him for more than 22 years. Muhammad then recited the words to his followers, which eventually became verses and chapters in the Quran.
Rushdie’s book explores this line of events. However, in his narrative, one of the main characters, Jibril is a dream of the angel, in which he takes on the role of the angel Jibril and meets another central figure, Mahoud, known as the Prophet Muhammad. The encounter between Jibril and Mahoud is said to be similar to the sacred encounter between Jibril and the Prophet Muhammad.
As far as the controversy in the book is concerned, the name ‘Mahound’ is believed to be a derogatory term for Muhammad, used during the Middle Ages by Christians who believed him to be the devil.
In addition, Rushdie also described Mecca as “Jahiliya”, referring to a ‘time of ignorance’ before Islam.
“And most controversially, he invoked a discredited tradition in Islam, the so-called satanic verses, in which Satan implores Muhammad to make compromises with the people of Mecca and continue to worship other gods in an effort to lure them to Islam. Allowed to keep,” HuffPost says.
Fatwa and death threats
Rushdie’s book, The Satanic Verses, has been banned in Iran since 1988 because many Muslims consider it blasphemy. A year later, Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or fatwa, calling for Rushdie’s death. A reward of more than $3 million has also been offered to the person who killed Rushdie.
Recalling the incident, author and Rushdie’s friend, Ian McEwan, said in an earlier interview to The Guardian, “The first few months were the worst. Nobody knew anything. Whether Iranian agents, professional assassins, Already present in the UK, when the fatwa was declared? A “freelancer”, provoked by a censure in a mosque, could be an effective killer? The media enthusiasm was so intense it was hard to think straight. The crowd was intimidating. They burned books in the street, they waved outside parliament desperate for blood and “Rushdie must die” placards. No one was arrested for incitement.
Meanwhile, sharing his opinion on the matter, author and 1988 Booker Prize winner Peter Carey told The New York Times in an earlier interview, “I wrote a novel about many things, including the Anglican Church. Rushdie wrote Wrote a novel about many people. Things including the Prophet Muhammad. We were both shortlisted for the Booker Prize… It was in October 1988, about four months before the fatwa. Even accusations of blasphemy aired. Were in (and in the publishers’ mail room) but the notion that Iran’s leaders could sentence a law-abiding British citizen to death was nothing on that warm autumn evening, as Salman and I were outside the Guildhall. We’re negotiating where the Booker Ceremony is held.
The AP further reports that over the years Iran’s government distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment remains persistent. ‘In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation increased the reward for Rushdie from $2.8 million to $3.3 million.’
Result
After a fatwa was issued against him in the 1980s, there were attempts to assassinate Rushdie’s translators and publishers. Subsequently, Rushdie was given police protection in the United Kingdom, where he had previously studied and lived. He spent nearly a decade hiding under the alias Joseph Anton.
Rushdie came out of hiding in the 1990s when Iran said it would not support its killers. He later moved to New York, USA where he currently resides. But years of running away did not dampen Rushdie’s enthusiasm. Instead, he published his memoir titled ‘Joseph Anton’ in September 2012. Rushdie is also a strong supporter of freedom of expression.
Responding to the fatwa, Rushdie said in an earlier interview to BBC Radio 4, “Frankly, I wish I had written a more critical book. I am very sad that this should have happened. It is not true that this book is Islam.” I highly doubt that Khomeini or anyone else in Iran has read selected excerpts from the book or out of context.”
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