'Satanic Verses' author pulls out of literary festival over death threats By Sara Sidner and Sumnima Udas, CNN January 20, 2012 -- Updated 1040 GMT (1840 HKT) Indian-born Salman Rushdie received a fatwa for his book "The Satanic Verses." Rushdie wrote "The Satanic Verses," which sparked protests in Muslim world Author: "Paid assassins from Mumbai underworld" may be planning attacks on him Rushdie has faced threats before Jaipur, India (CNN) -- British author Salman Rushdie on Friday canceled his appearance at the Jaipur literary festival in India following warnings of threats to his life. "I have now been informed by intelligence sources in Maharashtra and Rajasthan that paid assassins from the Mumbai underworld may be on their way to Jaipur to 'eliminate' me," Rushdie said in a statement. While I have some doubts about the accuracy of this intelligence, it would be irresponsible of me to come to the festival in such circumstances; irresponsible to my family, to the festival audience, and to my fellow writers. I will therefore not travel to Jaipur as planned. Rushdie, who was born in Mumbai, India, in 1947, has faced threats before. The writer rose to international notoriety with his 1980s novel, "The Satanic Verses," which stirred protests throughout the Muslim world. Rushdie lived under protection in Britain for nearly 10 years after a fatwa, a death sentence, was issued against him by Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini considered lines in the book as blasphemous against Islam. January 19, 2012 -- Updated 0858 GMT (1658 HKT) Researchers have a new way of predicting African countries' growth -- and it doesn't just come down to wealth creation. January 19, 2012 -- Updated 1231 GMT (2031 HKT) Business brainstorms are often poorly conducted, says one expert -- but can be effective if carried out correctly.