Rushdie’s Satanic Verses Had Few Takers, Khomeini’s Fatwa Gave It Sudden Rise

By Nur Ul Islam Sadequey, New Age Islam 29 August 2022 The Novel Also Gave Muslims Chance to Clear Ambiguity around Contested Traditions but the Fatwa Made Debate on Religion A Taboo And Rushdie Emerged Victorious Main Points: 1. Notably, the title ‘Satanic Verses’ implies not only that Quran is not a divine revelation but its devil’s work. 2. The bogey of infamous fatwa has haunted Muslims more than Rushdie for decades. 3. For many Muslims, Iranian motive behind the fatwa was dubious. 4. The fatwa which had unforeseen repercussions far and wide for decades, pitted western values against Islamic values and made debate on religion a taboo. ----- Although Iran has ‘categorically’ denied any link with attacker but as the stabbing of the controversial author Salman Rushdie onstage at a literary event in New York on August 12, 2022 was hailed by the supporters of Iranian government on social media, it shows that the attack was result of a lingering bitterness among some Muslims over Rushdie’s controversial novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ which led the Iranian leadership issue a fatwa in 1989 calling for his death. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Salman Rushdie's Indian Mullah Critics, Listen To the Message of Satanic Verses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bogey of infamous fatwa has haunted Muslims more than Rushdie for decades. Had there been no fatwa the novel would have been lost in oblivion at the very outset. For many Muslims, Iranian motive behind the fatwa was dubious. Iran, then reeling under privation and capitulation to a truce with Iraq to end the longstanding war, saw the novel a ‘godsend gift’ to distract its people. Fearing that Saudis might steal the show, and vying for leadership of the Muslim world, and to garner support of Sunnis for the Islamic Revolution, Iran took no time in pulling the rug from under the feet of Saudis and took lead of the protest when its First Supreme Leader late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued fatwa (religious edict) in February 1989 asking Muslims to kill Rushdie wherever they find him. Although the novel was proscribed before fatwa in a number of countries but fatwa gave it more notoriety, many died in protest against its publication in Mumbai and Islamabad. Rushdie emerged victorious as the next few years belonged to Satanic Verses, people discussed need to defend free speech and critics found Islam impediment in this struggle. Many Muslims found it offensive that in the garb of freedom of expression Rushdie’s Satanic Verses distorted historical facts and fictionalized parts of Prophet Mohammed’s life and his wives’, whom Muslims revere most, in a condescending manner. However, the novel also gave Muslims chance to clear ambiguity around certain contested traditions misrepresented by the author. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: The Attack on Salman Rushdie Is Symptomatic Of the Malady of Intolerance Islam Suffers From -------------------------------------------------------------------- But the fatwa which had unforeseen repercussions far and wide for decades, pitted western values against Islamic values and made debate on religion a taboo. The narrative that Islam promotes child marriage, enslaving women, killing non-Muslims and perpetrators of blasphemy and apostasy, could have been debated without regressing to false apologetics as plenty of authentic traditions are there to counter such narrative. But the fatwa closed this door. The novel was execrated by Muslims in East and West. The resentment was so high that progressive Islamic writers avoided the subject for fear of reprisal from millions of zealots in Iran, India, Pakistan and elsewhere. Even many western liberals expressed contempt for Rushdie. Ironically, Rushdie’s Satanic Verses demands reader to have good understanding of Islamic sciences. Knowledge of early history of Islam, Prophet’s biography, Quran exegesis, hadith literature and Islamic jurisprudences is required to fully understand the novel. Many controversial references have been made in the novel that might offend a Muslim reader aware of Islamic traditions. Notably, the title ‘Satanic Verses’ implies not only that Quran is not a divine revelation but its devil’s work. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Revisiting Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses -------------------------------------------------------------------- During a BBC interview Rushdie said that he fictionalised a quasi-historical incident found in some traditions wherein Mohammed was offered a deal in return for recognizing three pagan goddesses as having some kind of status not equal with Allah but perhaps at the level of archangels then the faithful will not be persecuted. He was referring to an incident known in Islamic tradition as ‘Gharaaneeq verses’ wherein Prophet supposedly spoke two verses in surah An-Najm (after verse 20) as part of Quran but withdrew later for the reason that devil deceived him into thinking that verses are from God. Although both Sunni and Shia schools of thoughts consider Gharaaneeq verses story fabrication as it is not found in authentic early Islamic literature and neither in the books of hadiths of the Sunni or the Shiite sources. Iranian scholar Tabari (died 923 CE) describes the incident in detail which suggest Prophet recited surah An-Najm of Qur'an in the mosque and as usual went into Sajda (prostration), but this time all his opponent idolaters present there also kneeled and did Sajda along with Muslims. It is said that idolaters heard Mohammed read verses in praise of their goddesses saying ‘Laat, Uzza and the other third one Manaat are noble Gharaaneeq (birds) and their intercession is accepted by God’. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Afterthoughts On Salman Rushdie Episode -------------------------------------------------------------------- But surprisingly, the surah actually negates this notion in rather categorical terms which suggest these idols are fabricated gods created by the idolaters and their forefathers, out of desire and imagination. It is evident from last week’s attack on Rushdie that he will remain a damned figure in Islamic world no matter how hard he repents as for the common psyche he has committed profanity of highest degree against Islam, the Prophet and Quran. And threat to his life will remain there from misguided elements like Hadi Matar no matter how progressive and accommodative we become. However, a common Muslim should emulate Prophet for being merciful, forgiving and beneficial to the society. Any resentment should be expressed through peaceful means. Violence does only disservice to the community. Rushdie’s Satanic Verses will remain in people’s imagination with or without him. Muslims need to adapt to this. --- Nur Ul Islam Sadequey is an Arabic scholar based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/rushdie-satanic-verses-khomeini-s-fatwa-/d/127826 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism