The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1989, Hardcover)

I bought this book to see for myself what all the controversy was all about. The book mostly deals with issues of identity, immigration and language through the adventures of two Hindu Muslims in Britain. Nothing controversial there, people who have lived abroad would find this part quite interesting and relevant. The parts that I believe eventually led to the death fatwa for Rushdie are the chapters that deal with the life of Mohammed, angel Gibreel, the ayetollah. The author gives an alternative version of the official history of Islam, presents Mohammed as a common person with his flaws rather than a prophet, has a few less than kind words for the ayetollah. Overall, I think the book presents a different and fresh perspective on Islam. As a Muslim, I enjoyed the book and wasn't offended by the author's ideas.