ABSTRACT
The Iranian campaign against Salman Rushdie and his publishers focused attention on freedom of speech. In Muslim countries too, the Rushdie affair led to new restrictions on freedom of expression. The scope for freedom of expression narrowed dramatically in many Muslim countries. In the words of Duran, Rushdie's book became a weapon turned against free thinking among Muslims. The edict turned Rushdie into a Muslim author and possibly established something new, a tradition of explicitly anti-Islamic literature written by Muslims. The permanence of the threat has provoked much speculation about Rushdie's chances for living out his natural term. Acting in ignorance, it was not surprising that Muslim critics regularly got the facts of the matter wrong. Transparent ignorance of this sort put Muslims at a severe disadvantage in arguing the case against The Satanic Verses. Highly restricted press coverage was to blame for much of this ignorance.
