The Satanic Verses: What is offensive?

 My perception                                                                                           Rate : ***
This post of mine is not to vindicate or justify what is right and what is wrong. I happened to go through Salman Rushdie's this novel, that brought jinx in his life. Being accused of blasphemy , some Muslims resulted in a fatwa calling for Rushdie's death issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The book is public-ally banned hitherto.
The story shrouds two protagonist indian actors and dwindles between Mumbai and London. Having gone through the book with acute nuances , I personally feel there is nothing in this book which caused lot of pooh-pooh barring the few circumstances :
Firstly, the book is chocked with labyrinth and complex words along with very large sentences. This may become herculean to many people (specially belonging to Middle_East, noted that fatwa emerged there only) to conceive the exact theme.
Secondly, Few actors are there in two parallel stories with same name plsying different roles. Gabreel , the actor , is ruminating in dream a parallel story , where he acts as archangel Gabreel. Besides, Mishal (lover of Jumpy and Sayed's wife together) , Ayesha (divine girl in Titlipur and Mahound's last wife) are confusing.

Lastly.  the story minnow-ed the three goddesses power and showed Mahound, the prophet to die because of black magic of a lady. But surprisingly , No one spoke against the very often lascivious and frequent illicit relations. Consternating to say that not only female power is minnow-ed rather is shown minute respect for them. But, this appears in many novel and is true to an extent in contemporary Islamic cult.

Here is the story :

Casts:

 Gabreel Farishta : Smelling mouth for fifteen years the biggest star in the history of the Indian movies, 40. Her affectionate mother called him ‘ Farishta’ Gabreel was twenty, his father was dead, while mother in a bus accident. Started his career as Ganapati and Hanuman plays , turned super star. He had a avalanche of illicit relations. He dreams a lot and is archangel Gabreel in his dream story.

Saladin Chamcha : Affectionate son of mother but mutinous to father Changez Chamchawala, studied in London . English education , Chocking imposition of father, death of mather and Changez’s remarriage worked as bonfire to segregate them.

Mrs. Rekha Merchant – Married but infidel , Independent, her carpet and antique showrooms . Rekhs accused him forever for numerous murders and sins, abortions etc, but use to forgive him always.

Zeeny Vakil :  A doctor, a singer . loved Saladin

Babasaheb Mhatre. : adopted Farishta, despite half-hearted will of his childless wife.

Pamela Lovelace : Parents committed suicide in her early age due to surmounting debt overhead.

Mimi Mamoulian : Gabreel’s female counterpart in acting in London.

Alleluia Cone  : Gabreel’s beloved.

Karim Abu Simbel, Grandee of Jahilia , Husband of Hind (dream)

Rosa Diamond : 80 year old lady in Norman Fleet.

Baal: aka Bilal , a poet in Jahilla , prominent of Abu’s Grandee.

Khalid : a water Career

Mirza Saeed Akhtar  : Zamindar, husband of Mishal Akhatar (who had cancer)

Ayesha : Mahound’s last wife, a divine girl in Titlipur (dream)

1. Gabreel and Saladin-Fell out of the clouds over the English Channel – acquired reincarnation
2. Gabreel injured in a shooting till hemorrhaged and his blasphemy eked out first time while he got a bit relief in pain.
3. Gabreel Left Mumbai, Left Rekha for good and fled to London letting 7 movies in dump

            Against the God’s  act of retribution and to prove God’s non-existence , he ate pork.

4. Rekha Merchant read Gabreel Farishta's farewell note in the newspapers.
5. Rekha, gathered her children summoned in elevator and all jumped from Everest Villa apartment of her to death.
6. Saladin Chamcha met Pamela– an endearing orphane. He married her.
7. Saladin went in affection to  Zeeny Vakil, met her in Bombay once.
8. With his female equivalent, Mimi Mamoulian, Gibreel ruled the airwaves of Britain.
9. Saladin , being nostalgic , returned to home in forgiveness  with Zeeny (now married).

He found Changez’ still the same hoarse and lustful not only to his step mother Nasreen_2 but to Housemaid Vallabh’s wife Kasturba too. Vallabh was silent in greeed of money. Saladin being furious left .

10.  Chamcha met Gabreel, the actor in flight . The aircraft was later hijacked and was marooned on a shimmering runway for hundred and eleven days. The old Farishta with smelling mouth was dreaming, blabbering all these days, leaving Chamcha no option rather to listen. Farishta’s obsessive remind of the mountain--climber Alleluia Cone , conjured the memory of Pamela to Chamcha too.

Gabreel dreams : 

In Jahilla,  the businessman-turned-prophet, Mahound, is founding one of the world's great religions.  People are celebrating visit of Ibrahim who had visited with his sons and abandoned them (Later Gibreel saved them). Out of 360 stones clustered around God’s place, one is called allah, which is having not much importance here.  Abu visits the shrine with 3 beloved goddesses – Lat, Manat and Uzza.

Abu is accused for gang organization. Mahound, the messenger begs for peace and insists     that Allah can’t accept the 3 goddesses as his equal as they are not God’s daughters.

Hind supports Abu’s decision and says if Mahound is for Allah , she is for Al-Lat and Al-Lat is equals to Alalh and not daughter. 

Mahound backs to Jahilla, this time not with the maessage of Archangel Gibreel , rather of Shaitan –  satanic verses of disaster.

11. Accidently , after falling from the plane, both Chamcha and Gibreel meet at    Norman Fleet  . The English police catches Saladin (accused of spying) at Rosy Diamond’s home , but Gibreel deceives him , saved himself introducing as Rosy’s friend. Rosy died later and Gibreel escapes.

12 . Saladin calls at his home , but his wife considering herself widow (after the news of Bostan’s Flight accident) remarriaged perhaps. Chamcha was assaulted ruthlessly by polish and was brought in detention centre . He manged to escape somehow with the help of Hyacinth Phillips , a nurse.

13 . Jumpa Joshi came in life of Pamela Chamcha, and even after he said later thater that Chamcha is alive She did not believe . Later they decided to live together.

14. Gibreel meets Allie Cone and tried to revive of Rekha’s memory.

15 .  Gibreel dreams :  In a village Titlipur, a girl called  Ayesha (always remain surrounded by butterflies) appear as messenger to  Archangel Gibreel, who has told that all villagers should visit Mecca and that Arbian sea will tear apart to give them path if they will go opening their heart.

 16. Jumpy, still friend of Saladin manages to stay him at Sufiyan house , whose wife was  rude and owner of Shanadar café. The daughter Mishal and Anahita were closer to Saladin . Mishal had a lawyer boyfriend called Hanif Johnson, who was friend of Jumpy Joshi.

17. Gabreel meets Allie for whom her mother Alicija had always not agood opinion for being daughter’s boygriend. He returned to her after survival from Boston explosion again.

18. With the help of Sisodia and Billy Batuta , Gibreel revived his stardom again.

Gabreel dreams :  

Mahound returned to Jaheela after 25 years of exile and the city was decayed . Hind and not her husband Abu was Grandee. Hind had killed Mahound’s uncle Hmaza too.

Hind has discovered that in spite of all her efforts she has not been able to prevent the Grandee from surrendering the city to Mahound. With no compromise with Mahound, She commands people to fight in the name of Al-Lat. But the people begin to leave as they recognized the grey intenstion of  her. Mahound says “God but Al-Lah, and Mahound is his Prophet."

Mahound did not punished Salman too – a blasphemous Persian , and Baal who escaped into a brothel.

Baal became convinced by Salman that Al-Lat's fall meant that his own end was not far away.

Mahound had returned to Yathrib, preferring the cool oasis climate of the north to Jahilia's heat with his twelve wives.  Seeking the advantage, Baal married twelve prostitutes in the brothel and named them as the names of twelve wives of Mahound, younger one being Ayesha to breach Prophet’s respect among people.

After two years, Salman left the place for good and searching Baal ,  police seized the brothel but could not recognize Baal in his eunuch attire.

Baal, the poet used to scribe some weird songs on the wall of jail and hence was recognized and was sentenced to death for vindicating Al-Lat.

Hind, with the help of black magic she learnt in revenge, made Mahound sick and finally Mahound died.

19.    Saladin reached home . He and Jumpy decided that Saladin will live in the same house upper floor, though Pregnant Pamela (former wife of Saladin) was not liking this.

20.    Pamela and Jumpy were protesting against the arrest of a black American in a murder case. Hanif was the advocate in this case from accused side .

21.    Allie Cone (beloved of Gabreel) and Pamela met and with the assistance of Sisodia, they managed to invite Gabreel and Saladin in the same party.

22.    In the Party, though Saladin was revengeful for his betrayal in Norman Fleet , but the wealthy and famous actor Gabreel  has forgotten all and treated Saladin very friendly.

23.    In another meet in Shandaar café, there caught a fire from no clue source. Saldin rushed to save his friend Hanif and Mishal (who had already come out) and himself caught in fire.  It was Gabreel, who ventured risk on his life and saved Saladin and won his respect too.

 Gabreel dreams last time : 

The villagers of Titlipur arrived to Mecca being encouraged by Ayesha (butterfly shrouded girl) and Mishal (cancer victim wife of zamindar Mirza Sayed). With the passage of time and increasing difficulties Mirza Sayed, Mrs Mrs. Qureishi, Sarpanch Srinivas – all disbelieved them and mocked over. Archangel Gabreel appeared in clouds when people reached Arbian sea. Only those who could open their heart in belief were allowed to pass when the sea opened itself , and rest remained as witnesses .

 

After 18 months, Saladin listens the news of his dying father Changez. He returned home and forgetting all the cussedness he served his father , who finally died with the properties (to be shared equally with the his step-mother and maid’s wife Kasturba) in bequest .

Saladin had develoved respect for Gabreel, who suffered not less than him in life and was the one whom met him at every turn. Allie Cone dropped Gabreel and Rekha’s memory still haunted him , warned him. He reached to late Changez’s room  and committed suicide, leaving Saladin crying.

Saldin accepted the offer of Zeeny Vakil to begin a new life.