First published 1990
In the wake of the fatwa placed on him, Salman Rushdie delivers a defiant challenge to the notion of the "sacred." Drawing from history and literature, he dissects how religious and political authorities have used the concept of the sacred to silence dissent and oppress the marginalized. Rushdie's incisive intellect lays bare the ways power manipulates the sacred for its own ends, leaving readers to grapple with the unsettling question: Is anything truly off-limits from scrutiny?
Genres: 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, activism, academic
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: intellectual-discourse, social-commentary
Period: 1990
16 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books