A&O Productions will bring controversial author and political activist Salman Rushdie to campus for a speech Monday, sponsored by the Office of the Provost.
A&O leaders said University Police will take extra security precautions at the event.
In 1989 the leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, made a religious decree, or fatwa, encouraging Muslims to kill Rushdie. Popular opinion held that Rushdie’s novel, “The Satanic Verses,” was blasphemous against the Muslim prophet Muhammed. Rushdie began making public appearances again after the fatwa was lifted in 1998.
The Office of the Provost is providing the $30,000 required to bring Rushdie to campus, said Stephen Fisher, associate provost for undergraduate education.
About two years ago, the Undergraduate Budget Priorities Committee suggested that money be set aside for a speaker series.
McCormick senior Srikanth Reddy, A&O’s director of finance, said he remembered the UBPC funding request from his days as Associated Student Government executive vice president. Reddy approached Fisher with the proposal to bring Rushdie.
“I was in ASG last year, so I knew about the money,” he said. “I’m not sure other student groups knew about it.”
ASG Academic Vice President Tamara Kagel was a member of UBPC when the suggestion for a speaker series was made. She said Rushdie’s speech was exactly what committee members had in mind.
“The goal of the speaker series was to simply raise the level of speakers on campus,” said Kagel, a Communication junior.
According to A&O, Rushdie will speak on the topic of his latest non-fiction book, “Step Across This Line.”
“He’s going to have a lot to say because of everything going on in our country right now,” said Communication junior Natasha Little, A&O’s director of speakers and special events. “(His speech is) about political structure and religious structure.”
Because of the controversy surrounding Rushdie, A&O and UP are taking extra security measures.
“We really don’t know what to expect from the students,” said Jon Berman, A&O president.
Berman, a Weinberg senior, said plain-clothes and uniformed officers will surround Rushdie at all times. He said the event is unlikely to be canceled because of security concerns, which kept Snoop Dogg and Benjamin Netanyahu from appearing at NU.
UP Lt. Glen Turner, who is coordinating security for the speech, was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
Kasim Arshad, executive vice president of NU’s Muslim-cultural Students Association, said he will be excited to attend the speech.
“I know he doesn’t have the greatest reputation among average Muslims,” said Arshad, a Weinberg junior. “The controversy surrounding his name — that’ll bring me to the event. (I’ll go) to hear what he has to say first-hand, not what someone else says about him.”
Rushdie will speak at 7 p.m. Monday at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Free tickets are available at the Norris Box Office. Two tickets will be allowed per WildCARD, and students may present no more than two WildCARDs.
