1989day.year
Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa encouraging Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.
In 1989, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of Salman Rushdie over his novel The Satanic Verses.
In February 1989, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, declared a fatwa against British-Indian author Salman Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses. The edict called on Muslims worldwide to kill Rushdie and his publishers, condemning the book as blasphemous. The declaration thrust Rushdie into hiding under armed protection and sparked diplomatic tensions between Iran and Western nations. Numerous attacks and threats against translators, publishers, and booksellers followed, prompting self-censorship in the literary community. The incident ignited global debates on freedom of expression, religious sensitivity, and the limits of artistic license. The fatwa remained a focal point in discussions of secularism and censorship for decades.
Iranian
Ruhollah Khomeini
fatwa
Muslims
Salman Rushdie
The Satanic Verses