Rushdie Haunted by his unholy Ghosts — Page 9
9 C H A P T E R T WO : T h e C r u s a de s To trace the shadows behind the evil thinking of The Satanic Verses, we have to go back in time; right back in fact to the time of the Medieval attacks on Islam by the Christian Crusaders which instigated the first of the real and serious Muslim - Christian en- counters. Muslims had begun to make territorial progress throughout Europe and it is true to say that the ‘Europeans had felt great ad- miration for the superior state of Arab culture, philosophy, science, and medicine, as well as for the economic and military power of Islam. ’ ( Hans Kung, Christianity and the World Religions, p. 20 ). Many Christians, including their rulers, began to adopt the cus- toms of the Muslims and many started to convert to Islam. Western historians have called this the period of Islamic Colonialism! No matter what they may choose to call it, the fact remains that this was a period in history that even the Western writers refer to as one of religious tolerance whereby the Christians and Jews had the option of becoming protected minorities and were able to live in peace and without fear, and freely practice their faith. Hans Kung admits to the tolerance of Muslims and makes a striking comparison with the Christians : ‘In the medieval Islamic world, Christians and Jews could ac- tually practice their religions more freely than in many present- day totalitarian states. And the contrast with the Christian Middle Ages is striking. Pogroms were relatively rare, and Muslims could scarcely feel within their rights taking part in them: They were not only morally reprehensible, but violations of the law; and since the law was divine, they were also a sin. ’ (C&WR, p. 104). As with all great powers in history, a time comes when cracks begin to appear and, slowly, but surely, the seemingly impossible