 "On February 14, in 1989, a fatwa was issued against Salman Rushdie for his book The Satanic Verses by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Illustration: Santan")
It was on February 14, 1989, that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa or death sentence against author Salman Rushdie following the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses. Outrage ensued the release of the novel, especially in the Muslim-majority countries.
If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers’ ongoing series, History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events.
In AD 270, Saint Valentine, a holy priest during the days of Emperor Claudius II in Rome was executed. Meanwhile, the Pulwama attack, where a convoy of CRPF personnel was attacked by a suicide bomber, took place on this day in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
Here is all that happened on this day.
Fatwa issued against Salman Rushdie
British-Indian author Salman Rushdie has not just been the recipient of several prestigious awards but some life-threatening incidents. On this day, in 1989, a fatwa was issued against him by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The Booker Prize-winning author’s The Satanic Verses was published in 1989 for the first time. Since its release the book received criticism from people across the world, but mainly from the Muslim-majority countries. But why was it shunned by West Asian nations?
The novel, published by the Viking Penguin, explored a fictionalised account of prophet Muhammad’s life, which was considered to be disrespectful in the Islamic world. The novel was banned in several countries including India, Bangladesh, Sudan and Sri Lanka. Following widespread protests against the book, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Rushdie on February 14. He also announced a bounty of $2.8 million on the writer’s head.
Once the fatwa was issued, Rushdie, who was living in London at the time, went into hiding with 24-hour protection from the British police. He moved every few days for the initial days of his 13-year-long hiding. During his time in hiding, Rushdie adopted the pseudonym of Joseph Anton.
This was not all. His Japanese translator was killed in July the same year while his Italian translator was stabbed a few days later. Meanwhile, a Norwegian publisher was shot two years later although there has been no clue linking the attacks to Khomeini’s fatwa.
Just when Rushdie and the rest of the world believed that the matter had gone to rest, he was attacked almost three decades after the book was first published. A 24-year-old Hadi Matar stabbed him multiple times while the author was about to give a public lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, United States. The attack led to the esteemed author losing sight in his right eye along with multiple injuries on his chest, thigh and abdomen.
Saint Valentine was executed
It was on this day in AD 270 that Saint Valentine, the man after whom Valentine’s Day is named, was executed. Valentine was a holy priest in Rome during the days of Emperor Claudius II. But why was he executed?
During the reign of Claudius, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody wars. He noted that the army needed to be strong during these wars and it was difficult to get more men to join the army. He believed that the strong bonds Roman men shared with their wives and families discouraged them from joining the army.
In order to get rid of the problem, he banned marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine defied the order and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, Claudius ordered him.
So, Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off, stated History.com. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.
According to legend, St Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine.” For his great service, Valentine was named a saint after his death.
CRPF convoy attacked in Pulwama
It was on this day in 2019 that Indians were shaken to their core after a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was targeted by a suicide bomber.
A massive convoy of 78 vehicles, transporting more than 2,500 CRPF personnel, travelled from Jammu to Srinagar on National Highway 44 on February 14, 2019. The convoy, which had left Jammu around 3:30 am IST, was carrying several personnel due to a two-day highway closure and was scheduled to arrive before sunset.
A car bomb attack at Lethpora, near Awantipora, at approximately 3:15 pm IST, killed 40 CRPF members of the 76th Battalion and injured many others who were on a bus carrying security personnel. The injured were taken to the army base hospital in Srinagar.
The attack led to nationwide outrage and condemnation from world leaders. Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack. It was the deadliest terror attack on India’s state security personnel in Kashmir since 1989.
A few days later, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted an airstrike on JeM’s training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, claiming to have eliminated a significant number of terrorists in response to the attack. This escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to a brief aerial confrontation.
This Day, That Year
On this day, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim registered YouTube in 2005.
In 1991, the psychological thriller ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ was released in American theatres.
Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone in 1876.