The Issue of Blasphemy

THE WAY OF THE PROPHET connection to the true essence of God’s religion and the teachings of the Prophet. Two Quotes The frenzied agitation displayed by Muslims against Salman Rushdie was ultimately futile and had severe consequences for Islam’s reputation worldwide. Numerous examples of this negative impact emerged in the first half of 1989. The following instances serve as illustrations: 1. A British-born individual of a neo-Muslim English background, residing on the outskirts of London, had recently embraced Islam. He wrote to a friend in Lucknow expressing his love for his family, relatives, friends, and entire nation. However, he experienced a significant shift in attitudes. He was attacked from all sides, which was an unforeseen development. The intensity of the hatred towards Islam within British society was something he had never encountered during the few months he spent there after embracing Islam. (Al-Furqan Monthly, Lucknow, April 1989, pp. 5-4) 2. Time Magazine (April 17, 1989) featured a two-page illustrated report on Islam in Europe. Within that report, a paragraph stands out as follows: “The incendiary furore over Salman Rushdie and his novel, ‘The Satanic Verses’, reinforced the longstanding Western stereotype of Islam as a religion of intolerance and violence. The clash in Europe was especially acute. Almost overnight, efforts to