The Satanic Verses: 30 Years On

When Salman Rushdie’s *The Satanic Verses* hit shelves in 1988, it ignited a fierce clash in Britain. The Muslim community deemed it blasphemous and demanded its removal, while others championed it as free expression. Protests erupted domestically, then rippled across the Islamic world, reaching a boiling point in February 1989 when Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa condemning Rushdie to death. Three decades later, Mobeen Azhar investigates the affair’s enduring legacy. He speaks with early protesters, a writer torn between faith and free speech, and a former National Front member who saw the controversy as a recruitment gift.