ABSTRACT
While the Rushdie affair touched Muslims in all parts of the world, it was those living in the West who experienced the controversy in the most direct and disruptive way. The issue had far more importance for Pakistanis living in Britain, Algerians in France, and Turks in West Germany than to their counterparts at home. In these and other ways, the events of early 1989 marked the emergence of Muslims living in West Europe as a political force. In a more public and more emotional way than ever before, the Rushdie affair raised questions about the Muslims living in the West. On the political level, Muslim ambitions in Europe were symbolized during the Rushdie crisis when French and German newsweeklies reported parallel statements. The Rushdie affair caused some Europeans to express alarm that Muslims would not assimilate Western ways and values.
