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Imam Khomeini’s Historic Fatwa against Apostate Rushdie
Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
It is now exactly a quarter century since the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (may God bless his soul) issued the historic death sentence against apostate Salman Rushdie, days after the satanic novel he wrote to insult Islamic sanctities, led to the loss of Muslim life in India and Pakistan.
Now we have a feature on the farsighted move of the Sage of the Age to thwart an intricate plot against Islam and Muslims hatched by the Zionists and Imperialists, who are still sheltering the sentenced apostate from justice.
In 1988 the British national Salman Rushdie, who was born to Muslim parents in Kashmir, India, published his devilish work in London titled “The Satanic Verses” as part of a plot to insult the holy Qur’an as well as the immaculate personalities of the messengers of God, including Prophet Abraham and Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). The western media, in view of its enmity to Islam, promptly welcomed it, awarded the mischievous writer and arranged its translations in different languages. But it was natural for the world’s more than 1.5 billion Muslims to feel enraged at the dirty work which implied that the holy Qur’an is not the Revealed Word of God Almighty. Demonstrations took place in various parts of the world. In Pakistan and India these peaceful demonstrations turned violent, because of mishandling by the local police, and led to shedding of Muslim blood. The loss of innocent life is abhorred in Islam. Imam Khomeini, as one of the supreme jurisprudents of his time, after evaluation of the reasons behind the writing of the satanic novel and its consequences in future for world Muslims, passed the death verdict against Rushdie. The Imam’s dynamic move was in complete accordance with the shari’a and all humanitarian laws, since the Rushdie had deliberately indulged in such devilry. Moreover, he deserved the death sentence as a person who was a Muslim, born of Muslim parents, before becoming an apostate.
It was on 14 February 1989 that the Fatwa of Imam Khomeini shook the enemies of Islam, who started a hue and cry, on the flimsy basis of freedom of expression, when freedom, in any religion, or even in secular societies, does not mean the right to insult the sanctities of others. Instead of handing over Rushdie to justice, the regime in London, provided protection to this convicted criminal, since there was reward on his accursed head and every Muslim was eligible to carry out the verdict. European regimes tried to pressure Iran and twelve of the West European states recalled their ambassadors from Iran, but the government of the Islamic Republic stood firm, since this was a matter of Islamic jurisprudence. The Organization of Cooperation (OIC) endorsed the Imam’s verdict. After the passing away of Imam Khomeini, his successor, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, stressed the irrevocable nature of the death sentence against apostate Rushdie. Soon, realizing the futility of their actions, the said European countries gradually restored diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Still the blindly materialistic West where even Prophet Jesus and his virgin mother, Mary (peace upon them), are openly insulted by the Zionists and Israel, supports the condemned apostate, without realizing the harm being done to itself and to Christianity.
As a matter of fact, the morally and intellectually bankrupt western regimes are afraid of the enlightening role of Islam in Europe and the Americas. Instead of opening up their eyes to realize their mistake they have become tools for the Zionists. This is the reason the media in the West is quite often misused by the Zionists to heap insults on Islam and the peerless personality of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), as is evident by the publication of insulting caricatures in European newspapers and the burning of copies of the holy Qur’an in the US by devilish elements. Because of the rapid spread of Islam in the West, the Zionist and western regimes, are resorting to such clumsy and blasphemous plots. They drum up Islamophobia in the vain hope of discouraging Europeans and Americans to be attracted towards Islam. They have created terrorists in Muslim countries amongst Muslims themselves by calling them Jihadists and Puritanical Muslims in a bid to increase violence and distort the peaceful image of Islam. When Muslims protest to such moves, the western media and politician proffer the lame excuse of freedom of expression, but when there are calls for probing the myth of the holocaust, these same self-styled protectors of freedom of expression, muffle all voices. This is indeed hypocrisy. Paragraph 3 of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights says: enforcement of freedom of expression requires observance of specific duties and responsibilities. In other words there are limits and restrictions. For example, clause ‘A’ calls for respect of the rights and dignity of others, while clause ‘B’ cites dangers to national security, public health and morals. Moreover Article 20 forbids any incitement to religious hatred. Ironically, the US and the European Human Rights covenants have accepted these restrictions, yet they allow free reign to satanic elements to indulge in Islamophobial and insulting of Islamic sanctities.
As said earlier, any academic or scientific probe of the so-called Holocaust that was supposed to have taken place in Europe during Second World War in German Nazi controlled areas, is not just strictly forbidden, but carries imprisonment and fine in 16 countries as well as the illegal Zionist entity called Israel. In 1998 a French court fined French philosopher, the now deceased Roger Garudy, 40 thousand dollars for his well-researched and documented criticism of the supposed Holocaust. This is an evident proof of the hypocrisy of the West and its deep enmity towards Islam and Muslim. If the West was sincere it would not have allowed the ridiculing of the Prophets of God. This means that freedom of expression is different from insults. Islam says the human being has been born free and this freedom is a divine gift. Freedom of expression is highly valued in Islam. Throughout history, we come across many persons who expressed opposition without indulging in insults, and Islam has never persecuted them, since Islam invites people to discuss and ponder. This means, it is on the basis of logic and rationality that Islam forbids certain things and acts, in order to create the necessary spiritual atmosphere for preserving the social order. It was on this basis Imam Khomeini issued his historic fatwa this day exactly 25 years ago against Salman Rushdie.
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