Synopses & Reviews
26th September 2008 marks the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of The Satanic Verses controversy - a controversy that in many ways became paradigmatic for the following two decades. Taking as its starting-point the opening two years of the controversy, Paul Weller uses the events and arguments of those years as a lens through which to view what later developed, both in relation to the controversy itself, but also its wider entails, and the incidents and issues through which aspects of the original controversy were reprised. The anniversary of the controversy presents a good opportunity to review the incidents, issues and debates of the time in some historical perspective, while also connecting them with subsequent incidents that have reprised some of the key themes, such as the ‘cartoons' controversy, the terror attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, and the killing of the Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh. The book holds up a mirror for our times that will be of interest to academics, politicians, students, and religious believers, as well as to all who are engaged with the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect, with exploring the relationship between religion and secularity, and with overcoming the threats posed by religiously informed violence.
Synopsis
Using the events surrounding The Satanic Verses controversy as a starting point Paul Weller offers an interesting examination of the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect
Synopsis
26th September 2008 marks the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of
The Satanic Verses controversy - a controversy that in many ways became paradigmatic for the following two decades.
Taking as its starting-point the opening two years of the controversy, Paul Weller uses the events and arguments of those years as a lens through which to view what later developed, both in relation to the controversy itself, but also its wider entails, and the incidents and issues through which aspects of the original controversy were reprised. The anniversary of the controversy presents a good opportunity to review the incidents, issues and debates of the time in some historical perspective, while also connecting them with subsequent incidents that have reprised some of the key themes, such as the ‘cartoons' controversy, the terror attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, and the killing of the Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh. The book holds up a mirror for our times that will be of interest to academics, politicians, students, and religious believers, as well as to all who are engaged with the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect, with exploring the relationship between religion and secularity, and with overcoming the threats posed by religiously informed violence.
Table of Contents
Introduction: A Look in the Mirror Chronology of Key Events 1: The Contours of the Controversy Salman Rushdie and The Satanic Verses Literary and Critical Responses From Lobbying to Book-Burning and Demonstrations The Political and Legal Arenas The Fatwa: Its International Context and Repercussions The Continuing Controversy2: Actions and Reactions in the Controversy Muslim Concerns The Spectrum of Muslim Responses Rushdie's Reactions Political Reactions Media and Social Reactions Christian Reactions Other Religious Reactions Inter-Faith and Cross-Community Reactions The ‘Entails' of the Controversy 3: Through the Looking Glass The Controversy as Magnifying Glass Believing and Belonging Religion and the Secular Religion, Art and Values in Contention Law in Contention: Rights and Restraints Political Representation and Participation in a Plural Society4: Echoes, Reverberations and ‘Social Policy Shock' On the Other Side of Terror/The War on Terror Bombings and ‘Hard' Wars Culture and ‘Soft' Wars (Continued) ‘Glocalism', Globalization and Media Age Religious Radicalism, ‘Otherness', Freedom, Terror and Public Policy Incitement to Hatred, Conspiracy Theories and Islamophobia Anti-Catholicism and Islamophobia, Past and Present Social Policy Challenges, Legal Developments and Religious Responsibilities Concluding Notes Towards a Common Future A Wise Nation/World?Bibliography Index