Rushdie Haunted by his unholy Ghosts — Page 79
Rushdie: Haunted By His Unholy Ghosts 79 an ugly truth - namely that the sacred, or good, held little interest for me. ’ (p. 308). Rushdie’s obsession with sex is also mentioned which started with frequenting prostitutes : ‘I explored profanity and lust. ( I had money to burn; my father had become generous as well as loving. )’ (p. 309). But, perhaps the most shocking statement that he makes in this context is the alleged hypocrisy in Muslims when he writes: ‘and no city which locks women away is ever short of whores. ’ (p. 309). His insinuation is that due to the strict laws regarding the pur- dah (veil) in Islam, there must be an overwhelming demand for whores as the male inhabitants’ latent passions have to be satisfied somehow. What an incredulous and incredible claim by the self-confessed master of profanity! Salman Rushdie has furthermore picked out innumerable fac- ets of Islamic beliefs and customs and subjected them to ridicule and contempt. The idea of martyrdom in Islam and its rewards in Paradise also do not escape his venomous pen. He again gives a reference to Surat Al-Rahman : ‘Martyrs, Padma ! Heroes, bound for the perfumed garden ! Where the men would be given four beauteous houris, untouched by man or djinn; and the women, four equally virile males ! ‘Which of your Lord’s blessings would you deny?’ What a thing this holy war is, in which with one supreme sacrifice men may atone for all their evils!’ (p. 329). Note the bitter sarcasm and the gleeful gibe in his writing. The subject of martyrs and righteous people being rewarded with beautiful companions in Heaven as promised in the Holy Qur’an has always been held to ridicule and mockery by Western commentators and Rushdie is no exception as he too joins the band-