ABSTRACT
The Rushdie Affair is a cogent illustration of how religious dogma, internal factionalism in the country, a slur on the Islamic faith by an Indian-born novelist, could ultimately make an impact on world politics and influence the policies of Western Europe and particularly Britain. It points up the fragility of the international system as long as there are states whose philosophy and culture are not rooted in Western liberal/secular traditions. The motives behind the death sentence lie in the complex, unpredictable, and misunderstood dynamics of Iranian factionalism. Iranian politics has been dominated by this factionalism since the fall of the Shah, and this factionalism will continue into the future. Although the Western media explored the ethics and vicissitudes of the Rushdie Affair with predictable vigor, the Western public was wiser this time around than it had been when confronted with a crisis involving Iran and the United States.
