Ayatollah Khomeini's edict struck down against British novelist Salman Rushdie and his novel The Satanic Verses twenty days ago today. It was a shot from the blue, completely unexpected, unprecedented, and outrageous, a shock that caused two full weeks of furor among literary, political, and religious lions.
To many, the event was quirky and unique, the product of an old man's extremist mentality; few imagined the edict would permanently alter Rushdie's life, much less that it would alter Muslim-Western relations more generally.
In retrospect, however, one can see the deep importance of the edict. It strengthened the hand of radical Islam, encouraged Muslims to impose their will on the West, and inspired Muslim in the West to assert themselves. The Rushdie affair was, in short, one of the influential events of the age.
To many, the event was quirky and unique, the product of an old man's extremist mentality; few imagined the edict would permanently alter Rushdie's life, much less that it would alter Muslim-Western relations more generally.
In retrospect, however, one can see the deep importance of the edict. It strengthened the hand of radical Islam, encouraged Muslims to impose their will on the West, and inspired Muslim in the West to assert themselves. The Rushdie affair was, in short, one of the influential events of the age.
Source: Daniel Pipes Blog
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