| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Dhimmi Watch | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Raymond Ibrahim | Robert Spencer |  |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
Hitoshi Igarashi, RIP
I was hard at work on my forthcoming book The Truth About Muhammad (to be published by Regnery this fall) when I received this wholly apposite and well-timed email from a courageous Dutchman, Frans Groenendijk:
Unlike some other people I do remember that although Salman Rushdie himself was not killed because of the fatwa against him by the despicable Khomeini, several translators of his book "Satanic Verses" were attacked and the Japanese translator of the book was killed.Until recently I did not know the exact date he was slaughtered or even his name.
He was murdered on July 11.
I would like to make July 11 a day for worldwide vigilance against jihadist intimidation. This year it will be 15 years ago that this peaceful Islamic scholar was brutally murdered. So 2006 is a good year to start observing this day.
Mr. Igashari was not an average victim of the mujahedin.
The reason why I looked for Mr. Igarashi's name in the first place was in relation to the Danish cartoons. Via Yahoo I found this quote:
In Beirut, the leader of Lebanon's Shiite Hizbollah said the row would never had occurred if a 17-year-old death edict against British writer Salman Rushdie been carried out.An outrageous statement indeed, but it was not the quote itself but what the news source added that appalled me most:
Rushdie went into hiding and was never attacked.The extremes of this wishful thinking approach continue to amaze me. He was never attacked? He lived in hiding for many years. Even Muslims who suggested that the fatwa should be lifted were beaten up and lost their jobs. Last year the Iranian mullahs declared that the death sentence on Rushdie is still valid -- 16 years after it was issued.
The military organisation, loyal to Iran's supreme leader, said that the order was "irrevocable", on the eve of the anniversary of the 1989 fatwa.
The order was issued after publication of Mr. Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses, which Khomeini condemned as blasphemous.
Iran's reformist government has in the past distanced itself from the fatwa.
Without thinking much about the subject, I somehow supposed that Mr. Igarashi was "just" a translator, not objecting to translate this specific book. If Mr. Igarashi had been an average guy, not thinking too much about the sensibilities of the jihadsts, the murder would have been disgusting too. But reading a little about the background of Mr. Igarashi makes his story much sadder and more instructive.
According to this source, he opposed absolute freedom of speech and even somehow justified the fact that Khomeini came up with this act of spreading international terrorism:
Hitoshi Igarashi was stabbed in the face and arms until he died on Tsukuba University's campus in Ibaraki on July 11 1991.Igarashi, 44, the translator of Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses, is believed to have been murdered by an Iranian Shia Muslim carrying out the fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini.
Igarashi, known to be one of Japan's leading young Islamic scholars, a man who had lived in Iran, decided to translate The Satanic Verses to act as a mediator between Khomeini (and the Muslim world) and Rushdie.
Igarashi's position was that both sides were right: Khomeini was justified in issuing the fatwa on Rushdie by virtue of his position in the Muslim clerical hierarchy; Rushdie, he argued, could be located in the lineage of mystical Sufi thought, and seen as not anti-Islamic but rather, as an Indian moved to England, more like a writer of the literature of exile, and thus not unlike Muhammad.
Igarashi's translation was not an attempt to force the Muslim world to accept the Western value of freedom of expression in an absolute form. It was a third-party effort to show common, middle ground, in order to end the conflict.
For his search for common ground, a kind of search that is suggested almost everyday now in media and politics in the Netherlands and other western countries as the right approach towards the jihadists, he paid with his life.
And that shows the effectiveness of that approach. Those who are calling for us to do the same thing now should take heed.
Remember him on July 11 and say to the jihadists: No more.
And may his memory be eternal.
Posted by Robert at June 14, 2006 4:58 PM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
|
"Igarashi's position was that both sides were right.... a third party effort to show common middle ground...." Robert, I think I'll pass on celebrating Mr.Igarashi's efforts. I find Theo VanGogh a more suitable martyr, someone who paid a horrendous price for daring to pursue freedom of speech in his own land.
Posted by: MP![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 14, 2006 5:19 PM
Others, including a Scandinavian (Finnish?) translator of the text, were attacked, and stores carrying the book firebombed. One unintended consequence of the fatwa was to confer on the book a significance, and to ascribe to its writer a talent, that neither possessed.
Posted by: Hugh at June 14, 2006 5:19 PM
MP
With respect, you are missing the point. The fact that he was killed for this is not at all insignificant, and certainly no endorsement of the effectiveness of his strategy. Just the opposite, in fact.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at June 14, 2006 5:21 PM
Considering the light you have thrown on Igarashi's motivations, I think he is a suitable figure to commemorate. "Moderate Muslims", where ever they are, could be sympathetic to him. There are Muslims who do not approve of death-fatwas, so here is a way to drive a wedge between them and the religious authorities, to whom they so frequently abrogate their own right to speak.
Posted by: Quijybo at June 14, 2006 5:34 PM
Apparently Mr. Igarashi was counting on "moderate Moslems" to be sympathetic.
Posted by: MP at June 14, 2006 5:40 PM
A dear friend of ours, who lived in Moscow, was offered the job of translating Rushdie's book into Russian. He was of very modest means and trying to take care of a nephew and aged mother. He was very tempted to take the job, but then learned of the death of Mr.Igarashi's murder. He refused the job. I believe that an Italian translator was also attacked, although I do not remember if the attack ended in murder. In the intervening years, it looks like Koran is doing very well...the white glove treatment at Gitmo and on the top shelf at neighborhood book stores. I, too, shall remember July 11.
Posted by: maryrose at June 14, 2006 5:40 PM
Once again, the true face of their "our way or the highway" ideology is exposed; when a man such as Mr. Igarashi,a muslim moderator looking to build a diaglogue,(how rare is that?) is targeted. It just sends an obvious message to any unbiased mind that these people have no regard for any living creature on this planet that doesn't fall under their ungodly sphere of influence.
Ot- Indonesia frees Bali conspirator Bashir for "good Behavior"
at June 14, 2006 5:49 PM
O.T.
The So-called Independent has printed a story claiming that the Gaza beach blast was from an Israeli shell and citing an "expert".
It turns out that the "expert" is a frontman funded by George Soros:
The "expert" who blames Israel of Gaza beach blast
Posted by: Yojimbo at June 14, 2006 5:54 PM
I won't mourn him at all. Sorry Robert, persons like this have all along been part of the problem of anesthetizing the West and perpetuating false myths about our mortal foe.
at June 14, 2006 6:10 PM
I will remember him.
But I will not mourn him.
Just like all other appeasers.
Mr. Igarashi was a tragically flawed, pathetic figure.
But I do not mourn tragically flawed, pathetic figures.
I mourn fallen heroes.
at June 14, 2006 6:37 PM
FIVEOFNINE writes: "Maybe it would be ideal to run a poll, who would be the best representative."
I nominate Israeli Colonel Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu. He died on July 4, 1976, the 200th birthday of the United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Netanyahu
at June 14, 2006 6:41 PM
I am not a lawyer, but can a RICO indictment be brought against Islam or individual Muslims? RICO has been used to nail Klansmen and Mafiosos, and is there any greater Mafia-istic Klan than Islam?
Posted by: BunrattyBill at June 14, 2006 6:43 PM
Why would any Japanese convert to Islam, as Igarashi-san did? For all his faults, I think that Emperor Akihito (and for that matter, Emperor Hirohito before him) were far more noble people than Mohammed ever was. For Japanese who don't like Shintoism due to its Emperor worship attributes (although do they still do that anymore, other than calibrate their calendars after the Emperor's ascension to the throne?), why not opt for Japan's #2 religion - Buddhism?
Also, Rushdie was one of the most obtuse writers who ever existed, and an equal opportunity offender (he once tagged Margaret Thatcher to Maggie Torture, called the Mahabharat to Maha-vilayet, and did enough things to earn the opprobrium of more than just Muslims.) I don't believe he deserves to be targeted, but I also don't think much about the man himself. By targetting him, the Jihadists just ended up giving him an ill deserved aura.
at June 14, 2006 7:22 PM
Re the mention of Hirohito above: during the Occupation, the Americans gave Hiroito an instant makeover for reasons of Realpolitik. He was distanced from the Japanese militarists, from the ideology of Kodo, and his history sanitized. He played the part perfectly. He was interested in marine biology (hints of gentle Scandinavian kings, with their arcane hobbies). He loved Walt Disney, and wore a Mickey Mouse watch which, apparently, he wanted to be buried in, and was. That was the New and Carefully Improved Hirohito. The one who existed prior to 1945 was not the innocent that he was later depicted to be.
Posted by: Hugh at June 14, 2006 8:04 PM
The "Religion OF Peace" claims another victim.
Posted by: Bohemond_1069 at June 14, 2006 8:44 PM
Isn't it interesting that Islam 'makes' people 'do' things, rather than reason intelligently, why / why not A v/s B. All Islam has is 'dos and don'ts'. No reason / justification / logic.... Any wonder Muslims have very little ability to reason. Then, to complete the viscious blood-thirsty agenda, page after page in the 'book', followers are called to smitten, behead, slain, slaughter those who don't follow the 'book'. If this is not a cult, what is?
I wonder with what face Dubya calls this cult a 'Religion of Peace' and with what reason, Condi calls for the 'belnevolence in the heart of Islam'? Has common sense completely given way?
Posted by: Alert at June 14, 2006 9:18 PM
Hugh
About Hirohito, I believe that even the pre-1945 Hirohito - evil as he may well have been - would have been a better person than Mohammed. Granted, that's not saying much, but it does butress my point about even the pre-war Emperor worshipping Shintoism being preferrable to Islam, since there was at least a living figurehead who could reform the religion, as did happen after the war.
Posted by: Infidel Pride at June 14, 2006 9:38 PM
"And may his memory be eternal."
Better:
"And may the reminder of his tragic stupidity be eternal."
Posted by: Television at June 14, 2006 9:57 PM
Infidel Pride,
Hirohito only reformed his backward & irrational religion at the point of an American gun.
Posted by: Television at June 14, 2006 9:58 PM
Facts of the Iranian hukm (apparently distinct from a fatwa -- see below) against Salman Rushdie:
Aside from his Japanese translator Hitoshi Igarashi being murdered, his Norwegian publisher, William Nygaard, was shot, his Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was stabbed and beaten, and Muslims protesting against Rushdie's Turkish translator burned down a hotel, killing 37 people.
As to the hukm, I found this info (from a Daniel Pipes article) posted by frequent JW poster "Interested" in the JW archives:
The brand of Islam practiced in Iran distinguishes between two types of religious pronouncements, a fatwa and a hukm. The former remains valid only during the lifetime of the religious authority who issues it; the latter continues in effect beyond his death. Despite the Western habit of referring to the edict against Rushdie as a fatwa, Iranian spokesmen have universally regarded it as a hukm. Thus, Ayatollah Abdallah Javadi-Amoli in February 1997: "This is not a fatwa which died with the death of the religious leader who issued it.... It is a hukm which is permanent and it will stay in place until it is carried out."
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/301
at June 14, 2006 10:11 PM
Hitoshi Igarashi is an example of what solid and good civilized people from western or western style nations do which is a logical attempt to find a middle ground between different views. His death is an example of how that view or ideal does not always work. It should be tried in good faith. A price he paid and worth paying for a good and honest modern man. The key is to understand that even though he failed his example is opening ones eyes that we do not deal with a western civilizied peoples. Islamic nations are not modern. They are not western. In good faith he attempted to do the right thing by our standards and was killed.
He is an example of what is good becuase with his death he exposed our Islamic danger....
Thus a very noble death indeed.
Posted by: greatcometof1577
at June 14, 2006 10:36 PM
Heck folks even the mongols tried to send peace envoys into the "land of the afghans" to trade stuff(lost their heads for their troubles). We can't say the mongols did any appeasing. Right....
It seemed like the thing to do at the time....
We just need to respond like the mongols did when their appeasiers got wacked by the muslims.
at June 14, 2006 10:46 PM
why would any educated man particulary from Japan ever become a muslim? it is not logical that any decent human can consider being a good muslim means becoming a good human being, when killing, stealing, raping is considered okay to advance islam. most people who would read the koran, hadiths,etc, would run from islam as fast as their feet could take them. and be glad they still have their head attached to their shoulders! you may remember this man with pity that he was so stupid.
Posted by: Lulu at June 15, 2006 10:27 PM
Comments are turned off and archived for this entry.
(Note: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.)