The Stabbing of Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie, author of the book "The Satanic Verses" was recently stabbed 15 times by 24-year-old Jihadist Hadi Matar when he was about to give a speech at an event in Chautauqua, New York.  Rushie's book, published in 1988, was considered a controversial & satirical account of the life of Muhammad, the founder of the Islamic faith.  It led to an uproar in the Islamic world.  Many Islamic nations banned his book, violent riots broke out, and Ayatollah Khomeini eventually placed a $3 million dollar Fatwa on his head.  The ongoing threats forced Salman to live his life in lockdown.  However, he remained a vocal supporter of free speech and continued to advocate for it.  

Yet even now, 30 years later, we see that his life is still filled with danger at ever turn.  As Rushdie prepared to give a talk about free speech at the Chautauqua Institution, Hadi Mater rushed to stage and stabbed Rushdie 15 times.  Though Rushdie is expected to survive the attack, doctors report that she suffered injuries to nerves in his arm, his liver, and will likely lose one of his eyes.  Associated Press Reporter Joshua Goodman, who personally witnessed the attack, described it as "callous & deliberate."  At this present time, Hadi Mater has been charged with attempted murder and is being held without bail.  

This attack has horrified many people around the world, including President Biden, who openly condemned the vicious attack.  Sadly, it is not uncommon.  Many who have openly questioned, criticized, or made fun of the Islamic faith have found their lives in great peril.  Some nations like Pakistan pass blasphemy laws and use them as a tool to silence all critics and dissidents of the Islamic faith.  At times, terrorist groups, and in some cases, terrorist regimes, place fatwas on the head of such critics and urge others to carry out their assassination.  Such was the case in the Charlie Hebdo attack in January of 2015.  In other cases, terrorist leaders whip up mobs to carry out mob attacks in reprisal for insulting Islam, which is what we witnessed in 2005 when a Danish newspaper publish cartoons that were deemed to be "insulting Muhammad."  

All of these attacks and the long-time threat on Rushdie's life should clearly illustrate that what happened to him was not a random act of violence, but part of an ongoing trend that is happening all over the world.  The reason for this in truth derives from Islam's own religious texts.  Both Surah 335:57 & 9:61 issue dire warnings to those who would mock Muhammad.  The earliest biography of Muhammad, Sira Rasuh Allah, details how Muhammad personally ordered people executed for insulting him.  Various accounts in the Islamic Hadith also detail this practice, such Sunan Abu Dawud: Book 39 Hadith 4349, which detailed how Muhammad ordered a Jewish woman to be strangled to death for insulting him.  This trend has been ongoing for centuries, and we've clearly witnessed that it shows no signs of ending.  How else can we offer any kind of logical explanation as to why an author of a satirical novel continues to be hunted and attacked for a work he published over 30 years ago?  

So what should we do about this?  Some in the media made suggestions in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo massacre that we should refrain from "rocking the boat."  However, is that what most Germans said of members of the non-violent White Rose Resistance movement were executed for distributing leaflets protesting the Nazi regime?  That they shouldn't have "rocked the boat?"  The sacrifice of the White Rose is an ongoing lesson that we cannot sacrifice free speech on the alter of "Tyranny," but we must also not sacrifice it on the alter of "Tolerance."  

In 2020, Scottsdale Community College Professor Nicholas Damask was sued by the terrorist-linked Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) for issuing a quiz that contained questions asking students to explain how some aspects of Islamic theology can be interpreted to inspire terrorist attacks.  Professor Damask stated that his questions weren't geared to determine proper religious interpretation, but to help explain international politics and help understand terrorists motivations.  Professor Damask never imagined that issuing such questions would lead him to a lawsuit in Federal Court.  

Though the Judge dismissed the lawsuit and two years later the Appeals court upheld the dismissal, the fact that this matter was even tied up on court for two years is shocking.  Professor Damask, who taught at the college for 24 years, suddenly found his reputation under scrutiny and his entire academic career in jeopardy.   CAIR essentially tried to do to Professor Damask what Hadi Matar did to Rusdie, only they sought to use the pen, rather then the knife.  This clearly illustrates that we cannot sacrifice free speech on the "Alter of Tolerance."  Tolerance of Intolerance is merely cowardice, and the "intolerant" Jihadist, whether they be violent Jihadists of the knife or stealth Jihadists of the Pen, will do everything in their power to silence their critics.  Instead of compromising our free speech to avoid offending the "intolerant" we must honor Rushdie's courage and stand united beside him in defense of it.  

Sources:

Arlandson, James M.  "Muhammad's Peaceful Assassination of Mockers."  Answering Islam.  Accessed March 13, 2019 from https://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Arlandson/mockers.htm.

Bauder, David.  "By Chance, AP Reporter on Scene to Witness Rushdie Attack."  Associated Press.  Aug. 12, 2022.  Accessed from https://apnews.com/article/salman-rushdie-ap-reporter-ab1279dee889ddcded34e76b7ff345fd.

Miller, Andrew Mark.  "Critics call for Biden to 'Immediately end' Iran Nuclear Talks Following Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie."  Fox News.  Aug. 13, 2022.  Accessed from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/critics-call-biden-immediately-end-iran-nuclear-talks-following-attempted-murder-salman-rushdie.

Qureshi, Nabeel.  No God but One: Allah or Jesus?  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016.  

Qureshi, Nabeel.  Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014.  

"Salman Rushdie Off Ventilator and Able to Talk."  BBC.  Aug. 14, 2022.  Accessed from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62537389.

"Victory: Chancellor Affirms Professor's Academic Freedom After Arizona College Panicked Over Test Questions about Islamic Terrorism."  Fire.  May 11,2020.  Accessed from https://www.thefire.org/victory-chancellor-affirms-professors-academic-freedom-after-arizona-college-panicked-over-test-questions-about-islamic-terrorism/.