The Satanic Verses Lesson Plan

How does the Part 8 plotline mirror the criticisms Rushdie made of religion in the London and Jahilia plotlines?

There are a few examples of Rushdie continuing his critique of religion in Part 8. For instance, the narrator strongly implies that the villagers choose to follow Islam or Hinduism based on which will benefit them materially. Osman the clown chooses Islam to escape the restrictions that come with being a Hindu untouchable, and likewise, “Sri Srinivas, a Brahmin, was obviously not a man who had ever considered making a pilgrimage to Mecca."

By specifying that Srinivas is a Brahmin rather than simply a Hindu, Rushdie makes a pointed critique of Hinduism as a...