An Iranian family has won a last minute reprieve from deportation this week after being wanted for allegedly having a copy of The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. The book has caused an uproar in Muslim countries since it was first published in 1988. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the religious ruler of Iran at the time of publication, issued a fatwa following a riot against the book in Pakistan. The fatwa called for all good Muslims to kill the author and the publishers of the book. The book was banned in India and burned in demonstrations in the U.K. The threat was later withdrawn, however penalties remained for Iranians caught with a copy of the book.
The Satanic Verses is the fictional story of a Bollywood star and a voice over artist in England. Both characters, in an attempt to piece their life back together after a string of bad luck, decide to return to India. The story contains a series of dream narratives which are at the heart of the controversy because it questions the teachings of the prophet Mohammed.
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Cynthia Sterling, the only person to do an indoor reading of The Satanic Verses in the United States, said "Governments, churches, libraries, schools and local organizations have been banning books since there were books to ban, and most likely this will continue as long as there are books to read. Not too long ago, a local school attempted to ban The Catcher in the Rye for goodness sakes!"
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