A Conversation With: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan About the Salman Rushdie Affair
Following the controversy over author Salman Rushdie’s appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival, which ultimately ended with even a video conference with Mr. Rushdie being cancelled, India Ink is speaking with Muslim leaders about the situation, their feelings about his “The Satanic Verses” and whether politics played a part.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is the founder of the Center for Peace and Spirituality, New Delhi. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honor in India, and the Demiurgus Peace International Award. Malavika Vyawahare spoke to him this week at his home in New Delhi.
The protesters were completely wrong in doing what they did. Salman Rushdie has every right to come to this country. I heard his interview after the video conference was cancelled and agree with him when he said that all other freedoms rest on the freedom of expression. If you abolish the freedom of expression, all other freedoms will cease to exist.
According to Islam, you have to counter a book with a book; statement with statement. Countering a statement with violence is not right. It is un-Islamic. Protest and argument are two different kinds of reactions. The Prophet himself faced many negative things, abuses, but he never protested. The prophet’s life is a model for Muslims, thus violent protest in this manner is against the spirit of Islam.
Also, he has referred to the existence of harems and the Prophet having many wives as the existence of brothels. In Islam it is accepted practice to have more than one wife, he could have referred to the fact as polygamy or even harems, but to call them brothels is wrong and offensive. It has a negative connotation which the other words do not have.
Islam does not require that the author should take into consideration the sentiments of his audience, but Salman Rushdie has misquoted history, which he has not right to do.
Muslims needed to protest peacefully, counter argument with argument.