Satanic Verses was written in 1988 and follows two main characters. The book is separated into 9 parts, which switch back and forth from reality to dreams. The novel basically makes the Muslim faith look unreliable and builds on falsehoods/misunderstandings (built on misinterpretations from Satan). Overall, only a tiny part of the book is controversial. The book did lead to several assignation attempts, deaths, and bombings. In 1989, a fatwa was ordered to kill Rushdie by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran.
The idea of using a text to insult a particular religion does not sit right with me. Even though I do not necessarily agree or believe in said religion does not mean that that religion deserves to be criticized. If this book had been written about Christianity rather than the Muslim faith, I guarantee that this issue would have been taken much more seriously, and Rushdie would most likely have died.
The right to say or write what you believe stands, but when that opinion takes away the rights of another person, that text should not be allowed no matter what or who is attacked.