Rushdie Haunted by his unholy Ghosts — Page 147
Rushdie: Haunted By His Unholy Ghosts 147 E A ST, W E ST This was also a children’s novel, and just as the title suggests it is a mixture of stories and fables from the East and the West. He exposes all the crude and savage customs of the East and gives the impression of them being the norm. In one fable called ‘The Prophet’s Hair’, the Islamic mode of worship is ridiculed again as in his previous books; but this time he does not defame the Holy Prophet(sa). He talks of prayers and the reading of the Holy Qur’an as a sort of penance for the children. Perhaps he is trying to dissuade western children from appreciating the true qualities of Islam, by presenting a false picture of the normal life of a young Muslim. On the other extreme, another story entitled ‘Christopher Columbus and the Queen Isabella of Spain Consummate Their Relationship’, a sexual tale, is presented in an enchanting manner which really shows the irresponsibility of the author. If this was not enough, the language also is depraved and of- fensive, considering this is supposed to be a children’s novel. For example, in the story entitled ‘The Courter’ he has reverted to use the ‘F’ word no less than ten times within a space of a few lines. (pp. 204/205). I suppose this was done for the sake of ‘art’ ! Salman Rushdie seems always to have believed and still con- tinues to believe that with a writer’s license he is free to do as he wishes, and the fact that he is being bestowed honours and being applauded all the way to the bank seems to make his ego get even bigger by every book that he writes.