CQ Politics has an interesting article up about Iran’s murderous behavior towards those associated with Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses.” Shortly after it was published, the Grand Ayatollah of Iran issued a fatwa calling for Rusdie’s assassination. Rushdie had to go into hiding and was guarded 24/7. Almost twenty years later, Rushdie lives in relative peace; he is now leading a reasonable normal life. He lectures at universities and goes to bookshops to sign his (latest) books. He isn’t “safe” as such, but he’s not in constant mortal danger either.

Sadly, however, Rusdie isn’t the only one whose life changed dramatically after publishing the “Satanic verses.” Others associated with the book were also threatened and, unlike Rushdie, attacked and sometimes even killed by Iranian hitmen.

The Japanese language translator of the book, Hitoshi Igarashi, was stabbed to death on July 11, 1991.

The same month, the book’s Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, barely survived a stabbing in Milan.

William Nygaard, the book’s Norwegian publisher, barely survived an attempted assassination in Oslo in October 1993.

And on July 2, 1993, Aziz Nesin, the Turkish language translator, was the intended target of a mob in Sivas, Turkey, that set off a riot that resulted in the deaths of 37 people.

Rushdie himself is generally left alone, but he too is reminded yearly that he’s not safe. Every February 14, Valentine’s Day, Rushdie receives a love card from Tehran reminding him the fatwa is still considered binding. In other words, Rushdie can never become overly confident; at the moment all security will be dropped, hitmen are likely to go after him.

When talking about Iran, Westerners often limit themselves to the country’s nuclear project. The nuclear project, however, is only a small part of the problem with the Shiite theocracy. It supports terrorism, it oppresses its own people, it carries out assassinations in other parts of the world, and it threatens those who dare criticize Iran and / or Islam. Iran can’t be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, but it can also not be allowed to continue support Hezbollah, Hamas and threaten the lives of intellectuals living in the West only because they ‘insult’ Islam according to the Mullahs.

Negotiations with Iran also have to consist out of halting its support for terrorism and withdrawing fatwa’s such as the one issued against Rushdie.