THE SATANIC VERSES: WHY IT SHOULD BE BANNED? 

Salman Rushdie (or should he rather be called ‘Shaitaan Kufri’?) has blasphemed three things that are closest to the heart of every Muslim - Islam, the Qur’an and the Holy Messenger (Sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam). This is the most heinous crime imaginable in Islam.

A Muslim may swallow insults to his own person, his wife and even his parents, but even the slightest hint of an insult to our beloved Rasul (Sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) can cause any Muslim to go wild and berserk with rage.

Rushdie has been very cunning in trying to disguise his hatred and insult of Islam, the Qur’an and Rasul (Sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) by casting it in the form of a fiction novel comprising of imaginary characters. Normally a fiction novel is not based on reality, so it should not be offensive to anyone, but Rushdie’s novel is blatant in its depiction of the personage of the Holy Messenger (Sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) and his blessed companions.

When Rushdie felt the heat of his rubbish work, he tried to justify it as a work of fiction. But when he was asked on a Channel 4 interview to what extent the novel was based on the Quran and Islamic History, he exclaimed: “Almost entirely”. His filthy intentions to disparage Islam through fiction are given away by this admission! In fact, he had the audacity to mockingly state that his only regret was: “Frankly, I wish I had written a more critical book” (Sunday Times London, 19-2-1989). This really adds insult to injury.

It is extremely distasteful and intensely painful to repeat the venomous profanities and junk that has spewed from this demented man’s pen but Muslims need to know and understand why this book is banned in so many countries of the world and why this should be so. Some of Rushdie’s sickening vulgarities in ‘The Satanic Verses’:

1. “Here he is neither Mahomet nor MoeHammered … our mountain-climbing prophet-motivated solitary is to be the medireview baby-frightener, the Devil’s synonym: Mahound.” (p.93, Satanic Verses)

N.B. Mahound is used as a synonym of Satan. Imagine the Holy Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) being equated by ‘Shaitan Kufri’ to Satan! (Nauzubillah)

2. “The water-carrier Khalid is there, and some sort of bum from Persia by the outlandish name of Salman, and to complete the trinity of scum, there is Bilal, the one Mahound freed, an enormous black monster, this one, with a voice to match his size” (p.101, Satanic Verses) (Nauzubillah)

N.B. The companions of the holy Messenger (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) are derogatorily referred to as ‘scum, bum, black monsters’ and so on. This is enough to make any Muslim livid with seething anger!

3. Further on, on the same page the Sahabah (companions) are referred to as “a bunch of riff-raffs, goons, f***ing clowns”. Which Muslim can ever tolerate such blasphemy? (Nauzubillah)

4. The height of insult is when he refers to the wives of the Holy Messenger (Sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) in extremely derogatory terms as “whores” p.392 and he equates the Ka’bah with a “brothel” (p.381) where the Mothers of the Believers commit acts of prostitution with their clients. Nauzubillah a million times!!!

It is this obscene, vulgar and profane terminology and imagery in ‘The Satanic Verses’ and the offensive mockery of that which is most sacred to a billion Muslims that makes them boil with fury.

N.B. This is just the tip of the ice-berg. Muslims are implored not to support this book either by way of buying or reading it as it is dangerous for the Iman and will give undue importance to this rubbish novel.

In a regrettable and deplorable development, the SA Films & Publications Board, has decided to ‘unban’ ‘The Satanic Verses’ in South Africa. In the light of the pain and rage this miserable novel has brought to the global Muslim Community, and the insult it heaps upon the Honourable Rasul (Sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam), can the Muslims of South Africa remain silent and indifferent spectators to this situation??

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Dear Muslim Brother/Sister

If you feel strongly about the unbanning of this sacrilegious novel, kindly write to:

The Senior Officer, SA Films & Publications Board Fax: 021-4616484

As always be polite but firm and express your strong sentiments on the unbanning of the book. Call for the ban to be reinstituted with immediate effect due to the blasphemous nature of the book and the outrage it has stirred.

N.B. The BOARD only acts if they receive complaints, according to a press statement (Citizen 15-1-2002)