A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
When the Ayatollah issued his Fatwa against Salman Rushdie following the publication of "The Satanic Verses," I couldn't help thinking that it was a publicity stunt. It may be seen as cynical, but I believed the move would have had greater impact on public opinion if the book had been published prior to the Iranian Revolution, or at a later time when it could be viewed as historical fact. Instead, it seemed to me like a calculated attempt by Rushdie to capitalize on a volatile and diplomatically-charged situation for his own personal gain.
The Ayatollah, with his reputation for being sensitive and self-aggrandizing, presented an easy target for a provocative statement. It seemed that Rushdie couldn't resist seizing the opportunity. I might be less skeptical if Rushdie were to undergo a polygraph test regarding the ulterior motive I've attributed to him. Did "The Satanic Verses" serve as a personal, targeted assault on the Ayatollah? What specific actions or transgressions did the Ayatollah commit against Rushdie to warrant such an attack? Regardless of intention, the ensuing controversy catapulted Rushdie to a position of international notoriety, a status he may not have achieved otherwise. As the saying goes, "All publicity is good publicity."
In the West, the Fatwa against Rushdie seemed to pose little immediate threat, which lent an air of calculated risk to the publication of "The Satanic Verses." Given the intense media frenzy surrounding the book's release, I was reminded of Macbeth's famous words: "A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." I chose not to read the book, deeming it unworthy of my attention. Years later, a shocking turn of events unfolded when Rushdie was the target of a failed assassination attempt while delivering a public lecture. I was deeply disturbed by this violent act.
After the attempted assassination of Rushdie, I was forced to reevaluate my initial impressions. I was now struck by his unwavering commitment to his work. I borrowed a copy of "The Satanic Verses" and, upon reading it, I was genuinely impressed by its merit. It's a testament to the power of irony that the attempted assassination of Rushdie inadvertently propelled his book to greater prominence. The knife attack left him gravely injured, and it's clear that no rational person would intentionally court such a violent threat for personal gain. Upon deeper reflection, I realized that Rushdie's primary intention in writing "The Satanic Verses" was not to provoke the Ayatollah, but as a protest against the erosion of free speech and the rise of religious fundamentalism. By doing so, he sought to distance himself from the fervor and intolerance that characterized the climate in which he wrote.
The writing style of "The Satanic Verses" bears a striking resemblance to that of Rabelais and other similarly inclined authors. It is a complex, medieval satire, imbued with the worldly perspective of a modern Muslim. The text is replete with allusions, making it a challenging read, but one that rewards close attention. As a masterful satire, it will undoubtedly be recognized by its peers as a hallmark of the genre. In fact, public outcry has long been a prerequisite for membership in the pantheon of satirists, and "The Satanic Verses" has earned Rushdie a place among them, thanks in part to the failed assassination attempt orchestrated by the Ayatollah himself.
I am particularly grateful to Salman Rushdie for referencing Daniel Defoe's "The Political History of the Devil" on the frontispiece of "The Satanic Verses". Rushdie holds Defoe in high esteem as a quintessential Western free thinker. Like Rushdie, Defoe grappled with matters of conscience, and Defoe's commitment to his principles was so strong that he served time in prison as a result. Writing at the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment, Defoe's work remains remarkably relevant today, despite the quaintness of his style. Defoe's writing continues to be provocative and contentious, and it is a testament to his enduring influence that he remains a widely read author, including by Salman Rushdie.
In the quote on the frontispiece of Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses", Defoe describes Satan as a "vagabond". As a personal aside, the vagabond is a subject that resonates with my art. To me, Defoe's words take on a particular significance, as they speak directly to the theme of my work, which explores the experiences of the homeless, or "vagabonds" as they were once known. The pointedness of Defoe's commentary on the vagabond has inspired me to delve deeper into his work, and I have found "The Political History of the Devil" to be a profound and influential text that continues to shape my artistic vision. In the following quote from Chapter VI, of Daniel Defoe's "The Political History of the Devil," (1726) the apostrophes and capitals of the original printing have been restored:
“Satan being thus confin'd to a vagabond, wandering, unsettl'd Condition, is without any certain Abode; for tho' he has, in consequence of his Angelic Nature, a kind of Empire in the liquid Wast or Air; yet, this is certainly part of his punishment, that he is continually hovering over this inhabited Globe of Earth, swelling with the Rage of Envy, at the Felicity of his Rival, Man; and studying all the means possible to injure and ruin him; but extremely limited in Power, to his unspeakable Mortification: This is his present State, without any fix'd Abode, Place, or Space allow'd him to rest the sole of his foot upon.”