ABSTRACT
The Islamic Republic of Iran asserted Muslim strength as no state had dared for two centuries, spurring a wave of Islamization and Islamic awareness. The United States and the Soviet Union used their entire military, political, and intelligence resources to fight Islam within Iran. They believed that if they could defeat Islam in Iran with military warfare they could then easily confront the Muslims and the Islamic world. Iranian leaders assumed that British intelligence did not act alone in putting Rushdie up to the job. The irony of identifying Rushdie with the American government was not lost on less excited voices. Too, American culture, with its global impact, symbolizes the entire West. Whether Rushdie lives in London or New York City is a minor detail to fundamentalist Muslims; the point is that the United States presents the main threat to their vision of the just society.
