Muslims Angry at Renewed Sale of Salman Rushdie’s Blasphemous Book in India
Some Muslim organizations have strongly condemned the renewed sale of the offensive book.
Maulana Kaab Rashidi, legal advisor for the Uttar Pradesh unit of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (AM), expressed his concern over the book’s reappearance.
He said, “If freedom of expression hurts someone’s sentiments, it is a legal offense. The Satanic Verses is a blasphemous book. Selling such a controversial book under the pretext of freedom of expression cannot be accepted in any form. It goes against the spirit of the Constitution.”
Maulana Yasub Abbas, General Secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, echoed similar concerns, stating, “The book mocks Islamic view, insults Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions, and hurts sentiments. Allowing its sale poses a threat to the country’s harmony.”
In November, the Delhi High Court lifted the ban on the novel, observing that the government could not produce the original notification that imposed it in 1988.
The book, published in 1988, triggered controversy after its publication, as Muslims called passages in the book blasphemous.
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It also triggered protests throughout the Muslim world, including in India.
Rushdie, 77, has lived in the US since 2000, and has faced death threats over the book.
Source: Agencies
