Rushdie Haunted by his unholy Ghosts — Page 155
155 CONCLUSION Rushdie has become the self-appointed voice of the freedom of all writers and has issued himself the license to do as he wishes. In view of this and all the happenings recorded in the last few years it can be deemed, quite undeniably, that rather than Salman Rushdie being afforded protection from the people he offends, it is the general public that needs to be protected from his poisoned pen and from other writers of similar proclivity. It has become an amus- ing avocation for them to hurt, and gibe at the things and beliefs that others hold so dear and precious. Rushdie had been gradually built up to a high-profile personal- ity - something that he could very easily relate to. Even his close friends have remarked that ‘he is not a man given to underestimat- ing his own importance’. He even has the arrogance ‘to suggest that meeting him’ would be ‘one of the great moments of (anyone’s) life. ’ (The Times Magazine, 26 August 1995). Throughout the whole episode of the nefarious affair, Rushdie has displayed a mottled and confused character verging on the shameful and rancorous; his ardent supporters, however, have el- evated him to displaying iridescent and romanesque qualities that would win the adoration and sympathy of the masses which would, in turn, in a perverted sort of way, justify his blasphemous work. Certain elements of the media and members of the literary world in the West have been irresponsible for putting Rushdie on such a high pedestal and it is they who should now put him in the appropriate position that sound intellect demands. It is in no way being suggested that Rushdie should be handed over to Iran, or any other Muslim country for that matter, or that Rushdie should be put to death : this would go against the very teaching of true Islam as I have explained before.