Sometimes when words are written, they pass, unnoticed, or mostly so, into dust.
Other times, they cause riots in the streets.
“If there was going to be a fuss, Rushdie figured, it would pass soon enough.”
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, “Defiance” (print) and The Defiance of Salman Rushdie (web)
The fatwa issued against Salman Rushdie for writing the novel The Satanic Verses caused mayhem at the time. Its author remained unhurt, at least physically, . . . until decades later.
I recommend David Remnick’s article The Defiance of Salman Rushdie for an in-depth look at why the fatwa occurred and how its tragic aftermath unfolded.
Indeed, writing words can be a dangerous pastime.
Are you living dangerously?
