"On the 15th anniversary of Imam Khomeyni's historic...

"On the 15th anniversary of Imam Khomeyni's historic decree on Salman Rushdie (the author of the heretic book "The Satanic Verses"), the divine fatwa still holds and continues to be valid, and nothing has been able to undermine or mar its effect and influence," read an editorial in the Iranian newspaper Jomhuri-ye Eslami. "Recently, Salman Rushdie had made a trip to his birthplace, India. The Indian Muslims protested vehemently and condemned the trip, and compelled the Indian government to enforce certain restrictions on his travel and movements; and therefore, once more he was forced to realize and accept the fact that until the end of his days he would not be able to live a normal life like other people, and that every minute of his life he must expect the execution of his death sentence. His clandestine life in the United States is also something like a painful and protracted passing away and a concrete example of gradual death. "The present condition of Salman Rushdie, where he is waiting for death every minute without respite and does not see any place safe for him ... is a particular form of the execution of the divine death sentence, which is much harder and more unbearable than a normal death sentence."