A Ridiculous Reaction

THE STORY OF RUSHDIE barked at an elephant, the best and most effective response for the elephant would be to ignore it and move on. Established Greatness According to the Quran, the Prophet of Islam has been granted the position of Mahmud—a station of praise and glory (17:79). In other words, his prophethood is scientifically and historically established. His status of prophethood has been eternally established for the whole world. Every propaganda against such a Prophet is false. Therefore, it can never harm anyone. If someone were to say, “The Himalayas are just a small mound,” no one in the world would doubt the greatness of the Himalayas. Similarly, no article or book written against the Prophet of Islam would, to any degree, diminish his dignity and glory. Let us consider an example to illustrate this point. ‘The Times of India’ (February 24, 1989) published a detailed letter by Mrs. Zahida Khan from New Delhi in which she narrated her experience with Salman Rushdie’s book, ‘The Satanic Verses.’ She wrote, “The offending book was brought to India by a visitor, and during her stay here, I read it. But I assure you and my community leaders that my faith in the Prophet Mohammad has been strengthened.” (The Times of India, February 24, 1989, p.8) If Muslims become enraged by a statement against a Prophet whose greatness is so well established, they only