Support NeoGAF

[Kenshin001]

Can't believe they are still pursuing this and really says a lot about how crazy and intolerant the Iranians can be. For those who don't know, Rushdie is an award winning author who wrote a book called The Satanic Verses. Iran deemed it blasphemous and put a bounty on his head and the guy has had to live under protection ever since.

Forty state-run Iranian media outlets have jointly offered a new $600,000 bounty for the death of British Indian author Salman Rushdie, according to the state-run Fars News Agency.

Fars News Agency, which is closely affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was among the largest contributors, donating one billion Rials - nearly $30,000.

The announcement coincides with the anniversary of the fatwa issued the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, the agency said.

State sanctioned terrorism:

Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator of The Satanic Verses, was stabbed to death outside his office at Tsukuba University, the Italian translator Ettore Capriolo survived being stabbed at his apartment in Milan, and the novel's Norwegian publisher was shot three times in the back and left for dead outside his home in Oslo.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/p...erses-author-with-600000-bounty-a6887141.html

 

[Sapiens]

Regular citizens of Iran tugging at their collars.

 

[Jintor]

so cool yeah governments and the media straight up offering assassination contracts huh

 

[deadlast]

Now I'm going to read the book.

 

[BocoDragon]

"yes, we are giant pieces of shit, and in case you forgot, you should oppose our ideology and everything we stand for".

No room for "it was a different time", "we've learned our lesson".

Nope, they're entirely incompatible with our objectively better western values of free speech.

 

[Mikey Jr.]

Ohh boy. Salman to go back into hiding?

 

[BocoDragon]

Ohh boy. Salman to go back into hiding?

Pretty sure he's been in some form of hiding since back in the day. He certainly has a security team, at least.

These are bad people and this is a bad ideology. I hope we can acknowledge as a global culture that people declaring death sentences for writers are Bad Islam and I hope other Muslims acknowledge it openly and plainly. It's right out in the open and we can all say it: disgusting thinking.

 

[nib95]

Utterly ridiculous and dangerous. What a stupid thing to renew, especially on the eve of the attempt to temper foreign relations (notably with the US).

 

[Kenshin001]

Now I'm going to read the book.

If you haven't already, read Midnight's Children. Fantastic book. Kind of disgusts me such a talented writer could be threatened like this by a state and its media.

 

[neurosisxeno]

Another day, another fatwa.

 

[MisterFalcon]

What a stupid thing to renew, especially on the eve of the attempt to temper foreign relations (notably with the US).

It's not stupid at all from their viewpoint, Iran is reaffirming the lifting of sanctions has not been due to any compromise from their side on this.

 

[M3d10n]

Way to promote the book.

 

[GeordieMark]

Iran feeling a bit of 80s nostalgia.

 

[Dryk]

This situation would almost be farcical if 40 people hadn't died

On 24 September 1998, as a precondition to the restoration of diplomatic relations with Britain, the Iranian government, then headed by moderate Muhammad Khatami, gave a public commitment that it would "neither support nor hinder assassination operations on Rushdie". However, some in Iran have continued to reaffirm the death sentence. In early 2005, Khomeini's fatwa was reaffirmed by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a message to Muslim pilgrims making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Additionally, the Revolutionary Guards have declared that the death sentence on him is still valid. Iran has rejected requests to withdraw the fatwa on the basis that only the person who issued it may withdraw it, with Ruhollah Khomeini having died in 1989.

On 14 February 2006, the Iranian state news agency reported that the fatwa will remain in place permanently.

Salman Rushdie reported that he still receives a "sort of Valentine's card" from Iran each year on 14 February letting him know the country has not forgotten the vow to kill him. He was also quoted saying, "It's reached the point where it's a piece of rhetoric rather than a real threat".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Satanic_Verses_controversy#Attempts_to_revoke_the_fatwa

 

[PsychoSoldier]

Cool time to reread Satanic Verses then.

It's a hard read but very good.

 

[Kenshin001]

Way to promote the book.

Yeah, I wonder if it has a Streisand effect and book sales go up whenever the fatwa makes the news.

 

[Harry Stewart]

I'd find this a lot funnier if people hadn't actually died, like the Japanese translator. The intolerance and lack of levelheadedness for anything criticizing their religion is a huge problem in the Muslim world. Hell, my "moderate" Muslim in-laws' attitude around the time of the Charlie Hebdo attacks was basically, "I wouldn't do it, but they had it coming."

 

[jet1911]

Dumb question time! How can that be internationally legal?

 

[aeolist]

Dumb question time! How can that be internationally legal?

who's going to go into iran and arrest all those people?

 

[Oppo]

Iran snatching a bit of defeat from the jaws of foreign policy victory.

"don't forget - we are insane, murderous zealots. we remind you on the anniversary of one of our dumbest ideas ever."

 

[Gallbaro]

Much higher return on investment than drones!

 

[MMaRsu]

Yess kill this man bc he wrote a book you dont like

fucking idiots

 

[HazySaiyan]

Seriously, that fatwa was fucking stupid and disgusting when it was first issued, but it's been over 25 years now. They need to get over it.

 

[| Praxis |]

Fucking knobs. Eat shit, we will say what we want about religion.

I wonder if singer/song writer and professional tit Cat Stevens will have anything to say. Again.

 

[astroturfing]

what the fuck

Rushdie is a cool dude and he hasn't done ANYTHING, yet they want someone to stab him to death or shoot him? fucking barbaric.

 

[Kuros]

Satanic Verse's isn't really all that great a book. Which has sold thousands of times more than it would have without the Fatwa. Bravo Iran.

Midnight's Children is his best book and it's God tier.

 

[Branduil]

Satanic Verse's isn't really all that great a book. Which has sold thousands of times more than it would have without the Fatwa. Bravo Iran.

I would imagine he would gladly trade those sales for the freedom to not have to worry about nutcases wanting to murder him.

 

[cameron]

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran issuing his fatwa against Salman Rushdie and others involved with the book, in 1989:

The Iranian threat to Mr Rushdie was broadcast by Tehran radio, which quoted the Ayatollah saying: 'I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses book which is against Islam, the Prophet and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I ask all the Muslims to execute them wherever they find them.' Assailants who died in the process would be instant martyrs to Islam.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/1989/feb/15/salmanrushdie

Iran has said the fatwa can't be revoked. It'll last until everyone involved with the book dies. As noted by others, since people outside of Iran have been murdered because of it, the fatwa isn't merely symbolic or whatever. Also, that $600k from state media is in addition to a larger bounty in the millions from other Iranian foundations.

 

[jelly]

Does it rain fries in the middle east?

 

[G.ZZZ]

Ah religious nutjobs and their crusades for "righteousness". It would be funny if they weren't murderous idiots too.

 

[Saroyan]

Wow, I actually wrote my high school senior paper about Salman Rushdie. I wrote that in 1996 and it's crazy that they are still going after him.

 

[Kuros]

Fucking knobs. Eat shit, we will say what we want about religion.

I wonder if singer/song writer and professional tit Cat Stevens will have anything to say. Again.

Man is a complete bellend.

 

[M.Bluth]

Disgusting. Just fuck off.

As Iran opens up to the world, the religious nutjobs freak out as their grip over the country inches closer to its unavoidable destruction. I wouldn't care about any of their desperate attempts at avoiding the inevitable had they not chosen to pick something as dangerous and twisted as this.

Hopefully no one gets harmed, and may those twats fuck off as soon as possible for the sake of everyone, especially Iranians themselves.

 

[Makonero]

Rushdie is a freaking hero. Full stop. My heart goes out to him and all of those involved with publishing the book. Satanic Verses was the first book I ever read of his and it helped me really fall in love with his work. The fact that the fatwa is still a thing is just ludicrous.

 

[RoadHazard]

Fucking disgusting. What an absolute shithole full of medieval savages (no, not all the people living there - I hope).

 

[Raistlin]

I would imagine he would gladly trade those sales for the freedom to not have to worry about nutcases wanting to murder him.

Pretty sure Kuros was pointing out the irony in Iran creating a streisand effect for this text ... not that Salman is happy on how he's 'benefited' from it.

 

[AuthenticM]

That government cannot crumble soon enough.

 

[Jag]

Now I'm going to read the book.

Iranian Streisand Effect.

Pretty sure Kuros was pointing out the irony in Iran creating a streisand effect for this text ... not that Salman is happy on how he's 'benefited' from it.

Edit: Beaten like a heretical book translator.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

Seriously, that fatwa was fucking stupid and disgusting when it was first issued, but it's been over 25 years now. They need to get over it.

I can't unsee her hair clipping through her arm/shoulder at the second "let it go", when the ponytail is pulled in front of her.

 

[norinrad]

Yess kill this man bc he wrote a book you dont like

fucking idiots

I think it's mostly symbolic these days and they will continue renewing it until forever or something. I personally think Iran does this every few years for giggles.

ahhhh let's see, oh yeah Salman, let's renew that contract for giggles.

 

[The Lamonster]

What a nightmare to have to live though. Hope he continues living a full happy life.

 

[Montresor]

I think what is fascinating about this story is the curse-like status of the fatwa.

The fatwa can only be lifted by the person who originally declared the fatwa. The person who declared the fatwa is now dead so it is completely "impossible" to lift it. How convenient for everyone that wants Rushdie dead. It's completely out of their hands, right?

 

[Chuckie]

I think what is fascinating about this story is the curse-like status of the fatwa.

The fatwa can only be lifted by the person who originally declared the fatwa. The person who declared the fatwa is now dead so it is completely "impossible" to lift it. How convenient for everyone that wants Rushdie dead. It's completely out of their hands, right?

Yeah this is some Once Upon A Time level shit. Hopefully like that show, they will find some exception to the curse in the future.

 

[M.Bluth]

I think what is fascinating about this story is the curse-like status of the fatwa.

The fatwa can only be lifted by the person who originally declared the fatwa. The person who declared the fatwa is now dead so it is completely "impossible" to lift it. How convenient for everyone that wants Rushdie dead. It's completely out of their hands, right?

The bullshit in that, of course, that a fatwa of a dead guy doesn't have to be followed if one's replacement marja' disagrees about it. And considering that Khamenei is Khomeini's de facto replacement for many, he can simply issue a statement against it.

 

[Jag]

Yeah this is some Once Upon A Time level shit. Hopefully like that show, they will find some exception to the curse in the future.

A country run by people who believe in curses, magic and fairy tales and will probably have a nuke in less than 10 years. What could go wrong?

 

[addik]

Man, I feel disgusted every time I remember Rushdie and the fatwa against him. I got to read his book ("Haroun and the Sea of Stories"), and it was amazing. I guess I have to check out The Satanic Verses soon.

Spoiler

...and take a picture of me reading a book and tweeting it to an Iranian media twitter account. :/ lol hahaha

 

[Ultima_5]

Wasn't there a Seinfeld episode where Kramer found him?

 

[dabig2]

Yeah this is some Once Upon A Time level shit. Hopefully like that show, they will find some exception to the curse in the future.

Reminds me of this really stupid plot in True Blood with a dying Iraqi woman cursing a team of American soldiers. Her curse brought forth an evil djinn that hunted the men throughout the years after her death.