Literature confronts reality, creative freedom, ideas and beliefs. But many would argue that there is a line between creativity/communication and respect for the traditions and creeds of others. In 2015, Pope Francis said that we cannot mock the faith of others; however, anyone would assert that the lives of others must also be respected, right?
The reality is a bit more complex when beliefs and perspectives converge.
Salman Rushdie published his fourth novel in 1988, thinking it would arouse some discomfort, though he did not expect the wave of violence the book unleashed. By that time, Rushdie was already an established author, but after The Satanic Verses he gained worldwide notoriety triggered by a death sentence.
The fatwa that condemned Rushdie
The Satanic Verses became one of the most controversial books in the world, after it questioned the Quran through fiction. The words, fiction or not, raised the ire of many, dragging the world of letters towards dangerous reasoning where killing is rewarded and writing condemned.
Rushdie was sentenced in February 1989 when Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (against him and all those who participated in the book). “I call on all valiant Muslims wherever they may be in the world to kill them without delay, so that no one will dare insult the sacred beliefs of Muslims henceforth,” Khomeini said on Tehran Radio.
At the time, Iran put a price on the death sentence, offering a $3 million reward for Rushdie’s killer.
The book had already been banned in countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and South Africa. In addition, protests broke out in British cities where the novel was burned and publishing offices received bomb threats.
The attack on the writer of The Satanic Verses
More than three decades after the fatwa and countless threats, Rushdie was stabbed in the abdomen, thigh and neck while at a public event in New York. His agent, Andrew Wylie, reported that the writer was connected to a respirator after being stabbed repeatedly.
“The news is not good. Salman will likely lose one eye, the nerves in his arm were severed and his liver was stabbed and damaged.”
The author withdrew from public life for several years after the publication of The Satanic Verses. Forced to live a clandestine life, he used an alias and had bodyguards for 10 years. But in recent times, believing he was safer, he had increased his public appearances. Although his condition remains critical, his son, Zafar Rushdie, has stated that the writer has had his ventilator removed and is now saying a few words.
During the event, Henry Reese, who is the founder of an organization for the refuge of persecuted artists and intellectuals around the world (the Pittsburgh-based City of Asylum supports freedom of creative expression), was also wounded in the head. New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, reported that a police officer protected Reese and Rushdie, preventing the attacker from committing further harm.
The Iranian government’s response
The assailant was arrested at the scene. Some media identified him as Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old resident of New Jersey. For its part, the Iranian government disassociated itself from the attacker a few hours later, rejecting any link to Matar. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Naser Kanani blamed Rushdie for the attack. “We do not consider anyone other than Salman Rushdie and his supporters worthy of blame and even condemnation,” for insulting Islam.
He also spoke about freedom of speech and its implications. “Freedom of expression cannot justify the abuse of divine religions and their principles.” The spokesman made no reference to the fatwa, from which Iran’s government had distanced itself in 1998, when Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, made it clear that they no longer supported the murder of the writer. But the fatwa continues, some radicals consider it a religious decree that cannot lose power.
Why the controversy?
The book refers to the Quran and Muhammad with creative liberties and provocations, which some devotees consider blasphemy. The narrative, with elements of fantasy and realism, has been seen as an irreverent mockery, a challenge to religious beliefs and a form of disrespect towards Islam. Moreover, with certain passages, Rushdie questions the origin of the scripture.
The writer apologized to the faithful in an attempt to erase the death sentence, but his words were not well received. Years later, he argued we should be able to discuss and question these religious texts.
“Why can’t we debate Islam? It is possible to respect individuals, to protect them from intolerance, while being skeptical about their ideas, even criticizing them ferociously.”
It is not only Rushdie’s life that has been threatened by this fatwa. As a result of being part of the novel’s editorial team, in 1991, the book’s Italian translator was seriously injured in his apartment in Milan; the Japanese translator, Hitoshi Igarashi, was murdered at the University of Tsukuba; and, years later, the Norwegian publisher, William Nygaard, was shot. Due to constant threats, many publishers withheld their name from the cover.
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