Salman Rushdie is a writer of Indian
descent, primarily famous for his controversial book, The Satanic
Verses, for which he was sentenced to death by the Iranian Court.
According to its critics, the book
depicts Mohammed, the Muslim prophet, in a blasphemous way. For
example, Salman Rushdie included in the book an episode in which
Mohammed allegedly proclaims polytheism, by accepting the existence
of three ancient goddesses in a few pagan verses (“satanic verses”)
of the Quran (which have supposedly been eliminated).
Such depictions were considered highly
offensive by the mufti of Iran (the country's spiritual leader) and
prompted him to issue a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, placing a
bounty on his death in 1989, less than a year after the publication
of the book.
Twenty three years later, the author
writes another book, Joseph Anton, retelling the experiences he has
had while in hiding, and highlighting the need for cultural and
religious discourse, and the importance of free speech.
Come listen to his stories this
Thursday, November the 29th, in the Chapel, at 4.30!
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