The Rushdie Affair

The Rushdie Affair refers to the international controversy and conflict, centered in Europe, sparked by Salman Rushdie’s novel “The Satanic Verses” (1988) and the fatwa calling for his death issued by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini. It was a defining early conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Europe and drove European Muslims to organize politically and foreground religious identity.

Claims that use this term

• The Rushdie Affair was the first major Muslim-non-Muslim conflict in Europe
• The Rushdie Affair drove European Muslims to organize politically and prioritize religious identity