Description

Salman Rushdie's novel, The Satanic Verses, led to one of the most famous free speech controversies of modern times. Deemed offensive to Muslims because of its portrayal of the prophet Mohammed, the book provoked large demonstrations by British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, was banned in India, and in February 1989 the Ayatollah of Iran issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie's head. As a result, The Satanic Verses became a totem of the battle for free expression across the world.