Speakers at an academic discussion arranged by Iqbal International Institute for Research, Education and Dialogue (IRED) on the issue of the knighthood of Salman Rushdie on Sunday called upon the Muslim youth to conduct academic research to give a logical response to such issues.The discussion titled ‘What is Satanic in Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses?’ was held at IRED secretariat.
IRED Executive Director Dr Riffat Hassan said Salman Rushdie’s book ‘Satanic Verses’ was a deliberate attempt to provoke Muslims. “Muslim scholars must give a rational response to the blasphemous book by logical argumentation to expose its malicious contents,” said Dr Riffat.
She said the main objective of the discussion was to educate the Muslim youth about the important aspects of the book such as its structure, themes, language and the reason of its universal condemnation by Muslims.
“Despite giving an emotionally intense reaction, Muslims have made little effort to refute the distortion of facts by the author.” She added. Muslim youth should be equipped with the necessary knowledge to give a correct interpretation of Islam and to dispel the false attributions made to the faith and its Prophet (PBUH) by Islam-bashers like Rushdie, Dr Riffat added.
She said Muslim masses had expressed their anger through worldwide protests against the knighting of Rushdie.
She characterised the blasphemous book as ‘hate literature’ and said it was the duty of Muslim scholars to present the true picture of Islam.
| Prof Naveed Shahzad, dean of Faculty of Liberal Arts at Beaconhouse National University, said Muslims should not be surprised at the act, because history was replete with attempts to malign and misrepresent Islam. |
He intentionally distorted facts pretending that whatever was said in the book was a fantasy and that his characters, especially Mahound, had nothing to do with Islam or its Prophet (PBUH), she said. Columnist Eraj Zakaria questioned the award of knighthood by the British Crown in spite of RushdieÂ’s sharp criticism of Britain and his use of un-parliamentary language against the Queen. Dr Riffat said that even the majority of the British people were opposed to the decision of knighting Rushdie.
Prof Naveed Shahzad, dean of Faculty of Liberal Arts at Beaconhouse National University, said Muslims should not be surprised at the act, because history was replete with attempts to malign and misrepresent Islam.