The Satanic Verses received immediate and violent backlash from Muslims who found the book's depictions of Islam insulting. 'In my view, the story - as it exists in the novel - reflects rather well on the new idea of the religion being born because it shows that it actually may have flirted with compromise, but then rejected it and when in triumph, it was pretty merciful.' The backlash included violent protests, bookstore fires and an order to assassinate Rushdie 'My purpose was not to write only about Islam,' said Rushdie, who was born to a Muslim family. Whether that interpretation is backed up by Islamic texts has been disputed by historians, but in a 2012 interview with NPR's Morning Edition, the author said that was beside the point. It reimagines parts of the Prophet Muhammad's life and in one section suggests that the founder of Islam may have flirted with polytheism. The story centers on two Indian Muslims living in England. The controversy began after Rushdie published his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, in 1988. In 2008, Rushdie was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

He has written 14 novels, many of which have been translated in over 40 languages and received numerous accolades. Rushdie, 75, was born in India and later grew up in England. His attacker, Hadi Matar, was charged with attempted murder and assault. Rushdie is 'on the road to recovery,' his agent told the AP. On Friday, he was scheduled to speak on that matter at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York when a 24-year-old man went on stage and stabbed the author in his neck and chest, New York State Police said. Today, Rushdie is widely known for being a vocal defender of artistic expression. It took nearly a decade for Rushdie to become more vocal and visible - though he continued to write stories. Rushdie was forced into hiding after the publication of his 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses.

Author Salman Rushdie at the Blue Sofa at the 2017 Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany.įor the last 33 years, the world-renowned author Salman Rushdie has lived under threat because of his writing.

Salman rushdie the satanic