The Issue of Blasphemy

kill him amounts to justifying international anarchy. Islam is exempt from such actions. Salman Rushdie’s book did not cause any actual harm or damage to Islam. However, the reactions from the Muslim World have unquestionably inflicted significant harm upon Islam. Through their actions, these Muslim clerics have conveyed to the world that Islam is a religion associated with terror and barbarism. It is natural for individuals to be hesitant to objectively study a religion whose image has been tarnished in such a manner. The greatest transgression of present-day Muslim leaders is their repeated actions that serve their leadership interests but ultimately undermine the cause of Islam. Undoubtedly, this stands as the greatest tragedy in the history of Islam. AN INTERACTION On February 25, 1989, two American Professors, Dr. Archie L. Nations, and Dr. Peggy Starkey came to our Centre in New Delhi to discuss various Islamic issues. As a gesture, we presented them with several English books. Towards the end of our meeting, they sought my opinion on the matter involving Salman Rushdie and Ayatollah Khomeini. I expressed that while the Shiite Imam Ayatollah Khomeini issued the “fatwa” calling for Salman Rushdie’s assassination, Sunni scholars had also provided full support to it. Some scholars, like Maulana Abul Hassan Ali Nadvi, publicly endorsed this fatwa through press statements.