Salman Rushdie's 'Blasphemous' Novel 'The Satanic Verses' Back On Sale In India After 36-Year Ban


(MENAFN- Live Mint) Salman Rushdie's most controversial or rather“blasphemous” novel, 'The Satanic Verses', that galvanised communities against the author is now on bookstands in India after 36 years after the ban on the book was lifted following a court ruling. India banned 'The Satanic Verses' in 1988 after a community found it as 'blasphemous'.

The Delhi High Court lifted the ban on Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses', observing that the government was unable to produce the original notification that imposed it in 1988.

In a post on X, Bahrisons Bookseller said,“@SalmanRushdie 's The Satanic Verses is now in stock at Bahrisons Booksellers ! This groundbreaking & provocative novel has captivated readers for decades with its imaginative storytelling and bold themes.”

“It has also been at the center of intense global controversy since it's release, sparking debates on free expression, faith, & art. Whether you're discovering it for the first time or revisiting its pages, this literary triumph is one that challenges and inspires,” it said.

WHAT DID DELHI COURT SAY ON THE SATANIC VERSES BAN?

While hearing a 2019 case challenging the import ban of the book in India on November 5, the Delhi court was told that the import ban order“was untraceable and, therefore could not be produced.”

To this, the court said it had“no other option except to presume that no such notification exists.” Uddyam Mukherjee, lawyer for petitioner Sandipan Khan, said,“The ban has been lifted as of Nov. 5 because there is no notification.”

THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE SATANIC VERSES

Salman Rushdie's fictional novel 'The Satanic Verses' ran into a global controversy shortly after its publication in September 1988 allegedly over some passages on Prophet Muhammad termed as“blasphemous”.

Apart from ban, Iran's then supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, calling on Muslims to assassinate him. In August 2022, Salman Rushdie was stabbed on stage during a lecture in New York, leaving him blind in one eye.

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Live Mint

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