The assault on Booker-winning novelist Salman Rushdie has despatched shockwaves to the world, particularly those that champion freedom of speech and expression. The India-born creator was stabbed within the neck and stomach by a person when he was about to present a lecture on the Chautauqua Establishment in western New York. Whereas the motive of the attacker was not clear, Rushdie has been receiving loss of life threats from the Muslim world, particularly Iran, because the publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses”. (Additionally Learn | When Natwar Singh informed Rajiv Gandhi to ban Salman Rushdie's e-book: ‘Wasn’t unsuitable')
The e-book was considered as blasphemous by many Muslims and was banned in Iran the place the then supreme chief Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a loss of life edict, or a fatwa, in 1989. Khomeini died the identical 12 months however his fatwa calling for the loss of life of Rushdie has had big repercussions on these associated to the novel. A bounty of over USD 3 million has been supplied until date for anybody who kills Rushdie.
Bounties on Rushdie
Eight years after Khomeini referred to as on all Muslims to kill Rushdie, the State-linked Iranian non secular basis elevated the bounty to $2.5 million. Through the years, the bounty was elevated to $3.9 million, together with one from Iranian media shops. In 1998, a hardline Iranian pupil group introduced one billion rial (then $333,000) bounty for Rushdie's head.
Assaults after fatwa
In 1991, a Japanese translator of the novel was stabbed to loss of life in Tokyo. An Italian translator survived a knife assault in his Milan flat the identical 12 months by a person who mentioned he was Iranian. In 1993, the e-book’s Norwegian writer was shot thrice however he survived. At the very least 45 individuals have been killed in a number of riots over the e-book.
Rushdie into hiding
Rushdie went into hiding with round the clock police safety after he began receiving loss of life threats. His first pre-announced public look got here six years after he began dwelling in protected homes because the fatwa was issued.
Protests in India
In Febraury 1989, Muslim protesters in Mumbai marched in the direction of within the British Excessive Fee to protest in opposition to the creator. Police opened hearth on the crowd which left 12 useless. Nearly 10 years after this incident, the Indian authorities offered a visa to the novelist to go to his nation of delivery, triggered protests from the Muslim group. In 2012, he needed to cancel his plans to attend a significant literature pageant in Jaipur as a result of protests from some Muslim teams.
Ebook Ban
The Satanic Verses was banned in dozens of nations, together with India, months after its launch. Former Union minister and diplomat Natwar Singh has defended Rajiv Gandhi-led authorities’s choice to ban the e-book, saying it was executed “purely for regulation and order causes”, reported PTI.
(With inputs from AP, Reuters, PTI)
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