Have any of you people read "Fatima's Scarf"?

[Beirut-82]

I just wondered if any of you have read this book which is a satire of the Satanic Verses affair. It's by a bloke called David Caute.
I've read it but I've still yet to meet anyone else who has, so haven't been able to swap views on it. Apparently one publisher after another refused to publish this book so David Caute ended up publishing it himself. For those of you who haven't read it, the "Salman Rusdie" in the book is a guy called Gamal Rahman, an Egyptian novelist who writes a book called "The Devil: An Interview" which is subsequently burned by the enraged Pakistani Muslims of the English city of "Bruddersford".

There are also sideline satires in the book covering the Honeyford affair, (the Bradford school master who believed Muslim pupils should only be taught Christianity and "English" culture) and the ball tampering allegations levelled at the Pakistani cricketers who toured England in '87 and '92.

David Caute attacks and mocks just about everyone....hardline Muslim Fundamentalists, trendy liberals, racist English politicians, Asian babes, Oxbridge educated Muslim Fundamentalist apologists, scheming Muslim councillors, wishy-washy Church of England clerics......the list goes on.

You'd think a book like this would have made a big splash but I never seem to hear anyone talking about it. So, what about you people? Anyone read it? Or know anyone who has?

[mina]

Nope not read it, sounds interesting though... is salman rushdie eygptian? i thought he was indian

[TIPU]

It sounds like a good read.....where can i buy it?

[Beirut-82]

Hi,

oh yes, Rushdie's Indian alright but the author of the book didn't want to make a DIRECT parallel between the real character and the fictional one. There ARE certain similarities between the two, (Gamal Rahman's writing style is similar to Rushdie's, very self-referential and slippery)but he also has his own personality, divorced from that of Rushdie.

By making Gamal Rahman Egyptian, Caute was also able to attack the corruption and violence of the Egyptian ruling elite.

Tipu, it should still be on sale in all large bookshops, (Heffers, Dillons, Waterstones etc.) Check with the counter people if you can't find it in case it's temporarily out of print.

I warn you though, it's more of what I'd call a "thought-provoking" book than a strictly enjoyable read. Because it's got so many satires and parodies crammed into it, it dosn't really work well as an orthodox novel.

[mina]

Originally posted by TIPU
It sounds like a good read.....where can i buy it?

Might want to try amazon.co.uk, paperback around 6 quid