Note on this edition: this is an electronic version of the 1999 book ...

250Demonic Texts and Textual Demonsphatically) “repetition to alterity.” 5 A written sign “carries with it a force ofbreaking with its context,” and is always drifting away from its author’s intentionsand open to new meanings. 6 It is Rushdie’s purpose in his essay torestore the novel with its “relevant context”; he tries to explain what sort ofnotion about ‘literature’ governed the production of The Satanic Verses, andto “insist on the fictionality of fiction.” 7 Because of his personal predicament,this “restoration” is – albeit elucidating and well justified – somewhatoverdetermined and one-sided. The demonic aspects of this novel’s imageryand textuality make it difficult to construct The Satanic Verses as a “benevolent”and “positive” work – or only that. Rushdie makes a reasonable andsolid plea for positive interpretation. It is, however, possible to appreciatethe conflicting and disruptive aspects of the novel (from the safe distance ofa critical reader, of course). Those features play an important part in thestriking effect that The Satanic Verses has on the reader, and may largely explainhow this novel has been such fertile ground for different “misreadings.”My reading of the demonical aspects of The Satanic Verses will at firstoutline its general strategy of hybridisation. My hypothesis is that the demonicelements are used in the novel to dramatise conflicting and problematicalaspects in the production of identity. The identity in question can furtherbe analysed to have several different aspects or dimensions in Rushdie’stext, which all contribute to my reading of it as a demonic text, a demonicform of polyphonic textuality.The most visible and far-reaching reaction to Rushdie’s novel was thefatwa (religious/legal judgement) dictated by Ayatollah Khomeini:In the name of Him, the Highest. There is only one God, to whom weshall all return. I inform all zealous Muslims of the world that the authorof the book entitled The Satanic Verses – which has been compiled,printed, and published in opposition to Islam, the Prophet, and the Qur’an– and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content,are sentenced to death.I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever theymay be found, so that no one else will dare to insult the Muslim sanctities.God willing, whoever is killed on this path is a martyr.In addition, anyone who has access to the author of this book, but doesnot possess the power to execute him, should report him to the people sothat he may be punished for his actions.May peace and the mercy of God and His blessings be with you.Ruhollah al-Musavi al-Khomeini, 25 Bahman 1367 [February 14, 1989]. 8The passionate protests against the novel began among the Muslims inIndia even before the novel was officially published. Twenty-two people lost5 Derrida 1971/1982, 315.6 Ibid., 317.7Rushdie 1991, 393, 402.8 Pipes 1990, 27 [orig. Kayhan Havai, February 22, 1989]. – The fatwa was officiallyrenounced by the Iranian government almost a decade later, in September 24, 1998.