Salman Rushdie

The Man, the Myth

By: Thomas Maldonado

Introduction

Loved or hated, honored or despised, Salman Rushdie is one of the most controversial figures of our era. From an affluent Indian background

and British education, Rushdie rose from obscurity as an unknown copy writer in advertising to a widely acclaimed writer

renowned throughout the world. Proving that the pen is mightier than the sword, Rushdie

continues to push the limits of literacy and freedom of expression.

Rushdie’s Early Life

• Ahmad Salman Rushdie was born on June 19, 1947 in Bombay, British

India which is now known as present day Mumbai.

• Rushdie’s father Anis Ahmad Rushdie was a lawyer who became a

prominent business man. His mother Negin Bhatt was a school teacher.

• Rushdie was raised in a life of luxury and affluence which sheltered him

from the poverty and social ills of heavily populated India.

• Rushdie’s parents spoke to him, along with his three younger sisters, in

both English and Urdu, a language that is a mixture of Persian, Arabic,

and Turkish.

• From a young age, Rushdie loved to read and became well-versed in

English classics, Indian mythologies, and Arabic fairytales.

Rushdie’s Studies

• The young Rushdie attended Cathedral

and John Connon Boy’s High School

where he furthered his studies in

British English.

• In 1961, at the age of 14, Rushdie’s

father sent him to Rugby Boarding

School, England to prepare him for

entry into Cambridge University.

• Upon graduating from Rugby, Rushdie

attended Kings College in Cambridge

from 1965 to 1968 where he graduated

with a Masters of Arts in History with

honors.

Awwww mum! Do I have to

smile???

Some of Rushdie’s Works “Grimus,” published in 1975, was Rushdie’s first novel with a sci-fi

feel merged with mythology. He received mixed reviews, but it was

not his most popular work.

“Midnight’s Children” won Rushdie the Booker Prize

in 1981. It deals with India’s independence from the

British.

“The Satanic Verses” is Rushdie’s most popular book that

deals with faith, fanaticism, and doubt as portrayed by two

characters throughout the story.

“Shame” is Rushdie’s third book and deals with the politics

of Pakistan.

Rushdie and Controversy

• India’s Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, sued Rushdie and his

publisher for libel in a High Court in London after reading

slanderous passages about herself and family in Midnight’s

Children.

• Gandhi couldn’t sue him for criticizing her, since she was a

public figure, but won for personal attacks on her son and

husband.

• Rushdie was ordered to pay all court fees, make a public

apology, and remove the sections about her family from all

future publishing.

• The legal action would be the first of many conflicts that

would emerge in Rushdie’s writing career. None however,

would prepare him for what lay in store for his fourth novel.

Rushdie & “The Satanic Verses” • Rushdie was virtually unknown out of Britain until the publication of “The Satanic Verses.”

The title of his novel is based off of a fabricated narration that Orientalist attributed to the

Hadith collections of Prophet Muhammad.

• In this story, known as “Qissat-ul-Gharaaneeq” (The Tale of the Cranes), it is narrated that in

order to appease the polytheists of Mecca, Prophet Muhammad said some words of praise in

regards to their idols and then later retracted, attributing it to the Devil.

• While this was not the area of contention for Muslims, the manner in which Rushdie described

the Prophet, as well as his wives, was seen as sacrilegious and slanderous to Islam. This

prompted Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeni to issue a Fatwa (Islamic Ruling) demanding Rushdie’s

execution. Fearing for his life, Rushdie went into hiding.

• Both Rushdie and Khomeni used the publishing of the book as personal

opportunities: Rushdie to gain large book sales and Khomeni to gain

wider recognition as the Shia leader of Iran during the so-called Islamic

Revolution.

• It is interesting to note that Khomeni only spoke for the Shia, a small sect

of Islam, and not for the wider Sunni majority who relatively ignored

Rushdie (except for a few extremists).

Rushdie & “The Satanic Verses” Cont.

While writers rushed to defend Rushdie’s freedom to express himself, others also voiced their

opinion in denouncing his work such as authors Ronald Dahl and John le Carre, the

Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie, Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe, and

former American President Jimmy Carter.

Nobody said anything when I

wrote The Satanic Bible!? Some guys get all the luck, I

tell you!

“Your response to the uproar has been wavering and

inconsistent, and your defense has the odor of self-

righteousness. You say that people who have not read

your book have no right to criticize it. But do you really

think that reading the book will drastically alter their

opinions? Then you talk about freedom of expression.

Free speech is a tricky issue and cannot be taken

literally. What do you think the response of black

Americans would be if you were to mock the Rev. Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr? Or the reaction of the Jewish

community if you were to eulogize Hitler? […] You have

elicited the rage of entire nations. This is a pity. But, Mr.

Rushdie, you have cut them and they are bleeding: Do

something quickly to heal the wound.”

S. Nomanul Haq, Harvard University

New York Times

Rushdie & Freedom of Expression

Ironically, the vanguard of freedom of

expression turned Khomeni

when he issued his own Fatwa in 2008

against a book entitled On Her Majesty’s

Service. Written by a former British police

officer who protected the author during his

sequestration, the work mentions Rushdie in

a manner that he deemed slanderous. He

sued the publishing company and won.

Rushdie’s Marriages

1 - Rushdie’s first marriage was to Clarissa Luard from

1976 to 1987. They have a son named Zafar who was born

in 1980.

2 - Rushdie’s second marriage was to Marianne Wiggins, an

American novelist, from 1988 to 1993.

3 - Rushdie’s third marriage was to Elizabeth West, an

American novelist, from 1997to 2004. They have a son Milan

who was born in 1999.

4 - Rushdie’s fourth marriage was to Padma Lakshmi, an

American Indian actress, from 2004 to 2007.

Rushdie Today

• Rushdie remained in hiding for 9 years, even after the

death of Khomeni.

• He has lived in the United States since 2000.

• He has taught and lectured throughout the U.S. in

addition to teaching at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

• In 2008, Queen Elizabeth knighted him due to his works

in literature.

• His most recent book, Joseph Anton: A Memoir, details

his life in hiding.

• Rushdie is currently looking for his fifth wife. (Just

kidding!)

Works Cited

“All Images.” Google Images. Web. 28 April 2013.

Al-Albani, Muhammad Nasirudeen. Nasb al-Majaaneeq li-Nisf Qissati-

Gharaaneeq. 3rd. Amman: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1996. 3-5. eBook.

Ravy, Tawnya. " Chronology." Salman Rushdie Archive. Wordpress.com, 12 12

2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.

Weatherby, W.J. Salman Rushdie: Sentenced to Death. 1st. New York: Carroll &

Graf Publishers, 1990. 12-17, 50-51, 167, 166, 170. Print.