A CONVERSATION

I heard his interview after the video conference was cancelled, and I agreed with him when he said that all other freedoms rest on freedom of expression. If you abolish the freedom of expression, all other liberties will cease. According to Islam, you have to counter a book with a book and a statement with a statement. Countering a statement with violence is not correct. It is un-Islamic. Protest and argument are two different kinds of reactions. The Prophet of Islam faced many negative situations and abuses, but he never protested. The Prophet’s life is a model for Muslims; thus, violent protest of this nature is against the spirit of Islam. Q. What is it about Mr. Rushdie’s work that has offended you personally and is offensive to the Muslim community? A. I have read the ‘Satanic Verses.’ The book is not based on historical facts. This author quoted an event that did not happen and was fabricated. He has misconstrued the events described in Chapter 53, Verse 19 of the Quran. He has relied on those words as being part of the Quran, which are, in fact, not; some non-believers misreport them. Also, he has referred to the existence of harems and the Prophet having many wives as the existence of brothels. In Islam, it is an accepted practice to have more than one wife; he could have referred to the fact as polygamy or even harems, but to call them brothel is wrong and offensive. It has a negative connotation, which the other words do not have.