Satanic Verses Versus Satanic Actions
This is a synopsis of the events surrounding the Salman Rushdie controversy.
In 1988 The Satanic Verses was published and banned in India and South Africa. There was an attempted ban in Britain.
In 1989 Muslims in Britain engaged in book burnings along with another attempt at a ban. In protests and riots in Pakistan and India 160 people were injured and 19 killed. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issues a fatwa and states, “I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses book, which is against Islam, the Prophet and the Qur’an, and all those involved in its publication who are aware of its content are sentenced to death.”
He also calls for the murder of any persons publishing the novel. A price reward is offered for the murder of Rushdie. The British government places Rushdie under its protection and he states that he regrets having caused any offence.
The Ayatollah responds thusly, “it is incumbent on every Muslim to employ everything he has, his life and his wealth, to send [Rushdie] to hell.” The novel is published in the US but is pulled from one third of the nation’s bookstores due to a threat that result in the firebombing of two bookstores in Berkeley, CA.
Diplomatic relations between Iran and Britain break down. The 46 member governments of The Organization of the Islamic Conference place penalties for possession of the novel-jail time and or monetary fines.
In 1990 five British bookstores are bombed.
In 1991 the Japanese translator of the novel, Hitoshi Igarashi, is stabbed to death, the Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was stabbed and seriously wounded.
In 1993 the Norwegian publisher, Wiliam Nygaard, is seriously injured by a shooting. Also in 1993 the price on Rushdie’s head was placed at $300,000.
In 2006 the price on Rushdie’s head was raised to $2.8 million. Also, The Martyrs Foundation, which is an Iranian government run body stated, “The fatwa by Imam Khomeini in regards to the apostate Salman Rushdie will be in effect forever.”1