"The Satanic Verses" In Perspective

The passionate religious feelings stirred by Salmon Rushdie's book "The Satanic Verses" had astonishing international repercussions.

Rushdie, of Indian descent, but a British citizen, was driven into hiding when Ayatollah Khomeini denounced his book as blasphemous and pronounced a death threat against him. The author's apologies were brusquely rejected, the Ayatollah declaring "It is incumbent on every Muslim to do everything possible to send him to hell". A reward of more than five million dollars was promised to anyone who killed Rushdie.

Angry protests were staged by some Muslims in Britain; an effigy of the author was burned in Bonn; there were noisy disturbances in Paris. In Brussels an Imam and his aide were murdered, apparently for failing to endorse the Ayatollah's charge of blasphemy and sentence of death. In Bombay ten thousand protesters took to the streets; when they failed to disperse they were fired upon by the police, leaving thirteen people dead and seventy injured.

Political reactions were also far reaching. The British Foreign Secretary made clear that such threats to murder a British citizen were unacceptable. Relations with Iran were further strained as a result, and several European countries temporarily withdrew their representatives from Teheran in protest.

Despite the zealous response to his call by many loyal Shi'ites the Ayatollah failed to gain support for his extreme demands from the great majority of Islam. Many agreed that some parts of Rushdie's book could be read as insulting to Islam, perhaps even blasphemous, but they did not endorse the death threat. Others were at pains to emphasize the forgiveness and mercy which their religion enjoined. It was also argued that the Ayatollah's announcements would do far more to damage the image of Islam in the West than any words of Mr. Rushdie. "Without the outcry, the book might have sold some tens of thousands of copies, and then sunk into oblivion as being too obscure for the general interest". In the event the book has of course been a huge commercial success. It seems clear in retrospect that the Ayatollah had used Rushdie's book to stir up anti-Western feeling among his fanatical followers. More moderate

elements had been gaining influence in Teheran, seeking accommodation with the Western World in order to rebuild the country's shattered economy after the disastrous war with Iraq. Khomeini successfully exploited "The Satanic Verses" as a means of turning Iranian opinion against any compromise with the West.

However, the whole episode needs to be kept in clear perspective. It should not be seen as typical of the main body of Islam, which develops formidably on quite different lines. Notably there have been since the 1950s waves of immigration from Muslim countries to different parts of Europe - from North Africa to Rome and Paris; from Pakistan and India to Britain; from Turkey to West Germany. There are an estimated seven million Muslims in Western Europe, France having "more than 1000 mosques and prayer halls, compared with a dozen in the early 1970s". A steady process of assimilation with European cultures continues, and Islam's spiritual appeal is being skilfully publicized.

One aspect of that appeal is the healthful effect on society of the practising Muslims' way of life; they abstain from many of the excesses

which have wrought havoc in the Western World. How clearly Scripture exposes the shallowness of this appeal in regard to a right spiritual relationship with God! The words of Romans 10:1-4 have striking relevance to many in Islam. They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. They are ignorant of the righteousness of God, the standard of holiness inherent in His glorious perfection. Therefore they presume to think they can establish their own righteousness and attain merit before God by religious observance and a meritorious way of life. The schoolmaster of God's holy law has not led them to realize their need of Christ, that they might be justified by faith (Gal. 3:24).

Burdened about the self-righteous attitude of his brethren after the flesh, Paul pleaded for them in prayer and with them in his gospel testimony:

"My heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved", he wrote (1:om. 10:1). Faced today with a similar challenge among the millions of Islam's devotees we too may cry to God for a great working of the Holy Spirit, to convict of sin and righteousness and judgement, and point to the Lamb of God who alone could bear the sin of the world.

unknown | Aug 1989
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