THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sir Salman Rushdie has announced his withdrawal from a leading Indian literature festival after officials warned professional assassins were on their way to kill him.
Leaders of the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary, one of the most influential in the world, had earlier called for Sir Salman to be barred from India to stop him in appearing at the festival in protest over his controversial novel The Satanic Verses.
They said the author could never be forgiven for his narrator's claim blasphemous [sic] that disputed verses on the Koran were disclosed by the Archangel Gabriel.
The novel provoked anger throughout the Muslim world when it was published in 1988 and was also banned in India where the secular government feared it would cause communal tensions. Iran's then spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for him to be killed.
The threat was later lifted and the author eventually emerged from hiding and heavy security to return to normality, but according to Indian officials the controversy over his visit has brought a new threat to his life. » | Dean Nelson, Jaipur | Friday, January 20, 2012
THE GUARDIAN: Salman Rushdie pulls out of Jaipur literary festival over assassination fears: Salman Rushdie says intelligence sources warned him that 'paid assassins from the Mumbai underworld' might try to kill him » | Jason Burke in Jaipur | Friday, January 20, 2012
MAIL ONLINE: Salman Rushdie Cancels Indian Literary Festival Appearance over Death Threats from Muslim Extremists: Salman Rushdie cancelled plans to appear at an Indian literature festival today after warnings he could be targeted for assassination by Islamic extremists. » | Damien Gayle | Friday, January 20, 2012
