Let us understand: It was 1988 when an old man who worked his way up to being supreme leader of Islam in Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa against the British born, ethnic Indian author Salman Rushdie, saying the writer should be murdered, and a bounty offered to the killer. Rushdie had published The Satanic Verses and the Ayotollah RK and his followers held this was an ‘blasphemous’ depiction of prophet Muhammad.

A fatwa is an opinion from a religious point of view, concerning Islamic law. Fatwa can also be understood as a ‘ruling’ in response to a question of social or religious culture.

Currently, in the Shia part of Islam a fatwa could be binding (that is, seen as every good Muslim’s work to carry through, not necessarily God’s vision, but the scholar’s vision of God in these matters)…. according to Shia scholars, a fatwa could be binding… some say this depends, not necessarily on the purity of thought of the pronouncer, but on the perceived status of the scholar. Same, same, it seems everywhere, in all religions, corporations, tree houses. The status, the pecking order, not necessarily the voice of the most wise.

I think to understand this matter of fatwa better, can give us new ways of seeing how to help mend, intervene, mediate, hold to decent ground about enmity called up purposely, versus a more patient and orderly — and peaceful– justice.

It is not enough to say that all religions are war-mongers, hateful, irrational, and hostile to human beings, and heck with ’em all.

I here offer a then and now look at fatwa…

SALMAN RUSHDIE’S BOOK and what it was about: I’ve not read it in a long time, but this is to the best of my memory, and I was at the huge Book Expo as a book author when Salman who brought in to speak under guard to heavy that it made the POTUS look unprotected.

…. In 1988, Salman Rushdie’s book titled, “The Satanic Verses” referred to a Muslim tradition argued over for eons… that “Muhammad added sura (verses) to the Qur’an accepting three goddesses who used to be worshipped in Mecca as divine beings”….but according to anecdotes handed down over time, Muhammad later wrote out these verses, saying the devil had tempted him to appease the Meccans with these.

In Salman’s book, these disputed verses are imagined as from the mouth of Archangel Gibreel. Somewhat like The Index of the Roman Catholics, which is the Vatican-generated long list of films, books, and no doubt by now, websites, that are considered by the prelates in Rome to be an occasion of sin and a threat to the Faith… Salmon’s book was banned by large parts of the old Muslim community, although read underground by many Muslims… and non-Muslims, alike.

DEATH calls by the Ayatollah came true, but unexpected consequences he was never held accountable; most who died were Muslims: The seriousness of the old Ayatollah shrieking for an author’s murder, was followed up by homicidally-ill persons across the world. One such person murdered one of Rushdie’s translators. Another man murdered the director of a film that referenced Rushdie. There were fire-bombings of bookstores by Muslims that resulted in innocent people, mostly Muslims, dying. Many died in demonstrations called by fundamentalist Muslims, which turned instead into riots wherein Muslims harmed Muslims.

By 1989, Britain cut off diplomatic ties with Iran over the old Ayatollah’s call for murdering a British citizen.

Ten years later, in 1998, a pathetic offer to sort of kind of rescind the fatwa for murdering Rushdie: in an effort to bring England back into some semblance of relationship with Iran, the Iranian government, then headed by Mohammad Khatami, gave a public commitment that it would “neither support nor hinder assassination operations on Rushdie.”

This wildly unjust support for Iran and all Muslims to continue to consent to murder another human being by omission rather than by commission, further caused many in the world to see Iran and Iranians, Islam and Muslims as depraved. The world’s view from outside Islam was deepened and set by those Muslims still bellowing vocally to reaffirm what they call “the death sentence.” That would be a death sentence, of course, without a trial, without a defense, without due process, and in absencia… all of these going against any spiritual law of higher ethics.

In 2005, Khomeini’s fatwa against Rushdie was hoisted back into place by Iran’s newest supreme guy, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Revolutionary Guards and their thugs who are para-military wannabes… who as recently as two weeks ago, assassinated innocent and peaceful protesters and bystanders on the street in Tehran and other cities in Iran, have declared that the death sentence on Rushdie will still be met.

This is no surprise. It is a part of the posturing of blood lust and degradation of the preciousness of life that Mohammed had meant to raise the ancient Persians out of, rather than making them ‘part out’ the Qu’uran and use it as some fanatical Christians and Jews do… to solidify power over instead of with the people, to make a mockery of the Holy words that many, including myself, think are overwritten in places… away from the profound messages of peace and love… and instead into kill and kill some more and find offense easily in 5000 different ways.

The holy words of any group tend ever to run AGAINST what is known about the proclivities of human beings. The Holy words are not holy when they sound like they come from frustrated, angry, self-centered people whose only suffering is, they don’t have as much power over others as they would like… that their dictator status and control of all the people is more flaccid than they would like. So um, let’s just put in a few lines here in the holy book upholding my livid and righteous anger, for the next group of scribes and translators to write in copies of the holy words…. or else.

Any religion that politicizes itself, and does not follow first the least violent and most peaceful means to resolve a dispute or insult, does not read the holy words the ways many of us believe they were meant… As in civil law, to bring peace and more peace between people, to deter murder, theft, and wrongful action to the soul.

Iran has rejected requests to withdraw the late Khomeni’s fatwa saying –and with mole-like logic– and even less hearing of the souls’ outrage– that only the person who issued the fatwa against Rushdie can withdraw it. And Ayatollah Khomeini has been dead since 1989.

Which just brings me to this: again. Us understanding more. The majority of the people of the world believe in a Power. Including some people believing themselves to be the ultimate power. We could throw up our hands over world affairs– which seems a pretty normal but temporary reaction sometimes– but to stay outside the game on the bench through lack of wanting to know more, makes no sense.

Is there is a time to diagnose and condemn the dictators? Yes. Yet, to live in our world and influence or help or protect, means in some ways that are difficult, to ever try to learn more about the who, what, where, why, when and how. Those are not just journalistic principles, they are life principles. Some say, I don’t give a darn about learning more. I hate that so and so.

Boy do I understand that. Yet, I think continuing to inquire while taking most useful viewpoint, most useful action, is the way to go, rather than be sitting around all crabbed in the torn red plaid bathrobe that looks like a Chesterfield coat, and cracking one’s cane at people, utterly disgusted with human nature specifically and in general.

For most of this life we live, we’re made to be far finer than that. So was the Ayatollah Khomeini.

I hope you will read Fatwa 2, in the article below this one. It is about also a call to action against a person and their accolytes, but in very different tone.