The Satanic Verses: 30 Years On
2019 · 60 MIN · IMDB 5.5
Overview
The publication of Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses in 1988 sparked a culture war in Britain between the Muslim community, who considered the book blasphemous and called for the book to be banned, and those defending it as an expression of freedom of speech. Protests, began in England and soon spread to the rest of the Islamic world, culminating in February 1989 with Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issuing a fatwa - a death sentence on the writer. Now, 30 years on, Mobeen Azhar embarks on a journey to examine the lasting effect the book has had on the Muslim community, and continue to have an impact today. Mobeen hears from a range of people affected by the so called 'Rushdie Affair' - from the men who took an early stand against the book; to a writer who wrestled with the book's publication, complex questions of free speech, and her own religious beliefs; and a former member of the National Front who claims that the furor over the book became a recruiting tool for them.
Dialogue Timeline — 1,091 lines
A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME — EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE
00:00:02 MAN SHOUTING
00:02:31 that is in Islamic history.
00:04:55 is to have an intellectual life,
00:07:30 Do they not play with just you,
00:09:59 You need something inflammable which catches fire quickly.
00:12:38 Many Muslims saw the book as an assault on their identities
00:15:34 Could we have done anything different?
00:18:32 I said it is uncivilised in the first place
00:21:29 But then this happened, and I felt I had a kind of duty to come out.
00:24:21 Do you think the fatwa would have been issued
00:26:54 I'm laughing because I feel really odd saying this.
00:29:37 The two cops that were holding me, they were talking to each other,
00:31:54 that wasn't the right thing to do
00:34:05 It brought all that to the surface and it became a symbol
00:36:45 These people seemed to be quite intolerant of a silly book.
00:39:00 When you see these communities, and you see these houses, you think
00:41:27 But that doesn't stop some from wanting their religion
00:43:52 But as a pretty liberal-minded Muslim,
00:46:16 it's keeping us in the Dark Ages.
00:48:40 Tell me what you think about this sentence. I don't want to.
00:50:45 ..is the curtain on the Day of Judgment,
00:53:11 Excuse me... Have you got a second? Sorry.
00:55:28 that they grabbed it out my hand and set fire to it.
00:58:21 The Satanic Verses will truly be put to bed.
Cast & Characters
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