The incident of the Satanic Verses is acknowledged by hadith and the earliest biographies of the prophet. Historians consider it an attempted outreach to the "big men" running Mecca at the time. Rushdie's crime was to satirize a real event that no Muslim denies took place -- a fact that has almost always escaped his "Maybe" critics who say he was making up a story to offend.
The incident of the Satanic Verses is acknowledged by hadith and the earliest biographies of the prophet. Historians consider it an attempted outreach to the "big men" running Mecca at the time. Rushdie's crime was to satirize a real event that no Muslim denies took place -- a fact that has almost always escaped his "Maybe" critics who say he was making up a story to offend.
Good interesting piece, many thanks.