Salman Rushdie

The Guy Who Wrote This Book

Rushdie was born in Bombay, India to a middle class Muslim family.

His family moved to Karachi, Pakistan as part of the Muslim exodus during the war between Pakistan and India.

Rushdie went to boarding school and college in England. He later lived in London.

In 1988, Rushdie wrote this book, and that’s when his troubles began.

In February, 1989 the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Rushdie, and offered a $1 million reward for his death.

The actual Fatwa Text:

“The author of The Satanic Verses, a text written, edited, and published against Islam, against the Prophet of Islam, and against the Koran, along with all the editors and publishers aware of its contents, are condemned to capital punishment. I call on all valiant Muslims, wherever they may be in the world, to execute this sentence without delay, so that no one henceforth will dare insult the sacred beliefs of the Muslims.” Fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini, Feb. 1989.

The Satanic Verses was banned in India, and many other countries. Some countries imposed fines and prison on those who owned the book.

Two bookstores in California and five in Britain were bombed.

B. Dalton and Waldenbooks chains removed the novel from their shelves, 1/3 of the bookstores in the country.

Britain broke relations with Iran.

Japanese translator was stabbed to death.

Italian translator was wounded.

Norwegian translator was shot, but survived.

Hotel where Turkish translator was staying was burned down. 5 people die in the fire.

19 people were killed and 160 people were injured in riots around the world.

Rushdie went into hiding under the protection of the British government.

He has issued two apologies, but the fatwa has not been withdrawn.

In 2006, the Iranian state news agency repeated that the fatwa “will be in effect forever.”

The bounty on Rushdie’s life is now at $2.8 million.

When the fatwa went into effect, Rushdie was forced to separate from his family, for his safety and theirs. His son Zafar was nine at the beginning of the fatwa.

Rushdie wrote Haroun and the Sea of Stories for Zafar, in 1990 just after he went into hiding.

Rushdie said it was important that Zafar read it as a child to maintain the connection with his father.

He said it was important that Zafar read it as an adult to understand what had happened to his father and their family.

Rushdie has continued to publish novels and win awards.

Haroun’s Dedication:

Z embla, Zenda, Xanadu

A ll our dream-worlds may come true.

F airy lands are fearsome too.

A s I wander far from view

R ead, and bring me home to you.

Extremism

• Holding extreme views (usually political or religious) and acting in extreme ways based on those views.

• Intolerance of any other viewpoints.

• Use of or encouragement of violence against those who hold other views.

• Use fear/terrorism to accomplish goals.

Examples of extremists:

The Klu Klux Klan

Examples of extremists:

The Taliban

Examples of extremists:

Westboro Baptist Church

Zembla

• Zembla is a reference to Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Pale Fire

• It is the name of an imaginary far-off, beautiful land whose popular ruler, Charles Xavier, is deposed.

• The new rulers of Zembla

then send an assassin to

kill Charles Xavier.

Zenda• A reference to the novel The Prisoner of

Zenda by Anthony Hope.

• In the novel, the ruler of Zenda is kidnapped before his coronation.

• A tourist, who looks just like the king, is made to pretend to be the king.

• Many movies have been inspired

by this story.

Xanadu• Xanadu is the location of an incredible

pleasure garden in Samuel Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan.”

• It is also the name of a 1980 roller-disco fantasy film starring Olivia Newton-John and a new Broadway musical.

• All of these connections are

intentional.