Knighthood for Rushdie foments anger in Pakistan

[DigitaLVampirE]

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in Pakistan condemned Britain's award of a knighthood to the author Salman Rushdie as an affront to Muslim sentiments on Monday, and a cabinet minister said the honor provided a justification for suicide attacks.

"This is an occasion for the 1.5 billion Muslims to look at the seriousness of this decision," Mohammed Ijaz ul-Haq, religious affairs minister, said in Parliament. "The West is accusing Muslims of extremism and terrorism. If someone exploded a bomb on his body, he would be right to do so unless the British government apologizes and withdraws the 'sir' title."

One opposition member, Khwaja Asif, said the resolution, which passed unanimously in the lower house, exposed a contradiction in the government's policy as an ally of Britain in the U.S.-led global war on terrorism.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran issued a religious edict before his death in 1989, ordering Muslims to kill the author on the ground that his book, "The Satanic Verses," insulted Islam. The threat forced Rushdie to live in hiding for a decade.

Britain broke diplomatic relations with Iran over the issue, restoring them in 1998 when Iran said it would not harm Rushdie. Iran condemned the knighthood for Rushdie on Sunday.

Robert Brinkley, Britain's ambassador to Pakistan, defended the decision to honor Rushdie, whose 13 books have won numerous awards, including the Booker Prize for "Midnight's Children" in 1981. "It is simply untrue to suggest that this in anyway is an insult to Islam or the Prophet Muhammad, and we have enormous respect for Islam as a religion and for its intellectual and cultural achievements," Brinkley said.

A Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Tasnim Aslam, said Rushdie's knighthood would hamper interfaith understanding and that Islamabad would protest to London.

"We deplore the decision of the British government to knight him," she said. "This we feel is insensitive, and we would convey our sentiments to the British government."

Britain announced the knighthood Saturday in an official celebration of the 81st birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. In the eastern city of Multan, hard-line Muslim students burned effigies of the queen and Rushdie. About 100 students carrying banners condemning the author also chanted, "Kill him! Kill him!"

The Associated Press|June 18, 2007

Pakistan Condemns Rushdie Knighthood

Pakistan says Rushdie knighthood justifies suicide bombings

[DigitaLVampirE]

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Britain's ambassador to Tehran on Tuesday to protest against the knighting of author Salman Rushdie, calling it a provocative act, the official IRNA news agency said.

"This insulting, suspicious and improper act by the British government is an obvious example of fighting against Islam," Ebrahim Rahimpour, Foreign Ministry director for Western Europe, told British Ambassador Geoffrey Adams, IRNA said.

Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses" prompted the late Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to issue a fatwa death warrant against him in 1989.

Rushdie, who lived in hiding for nine years, was awarded the knighthood for services to literature in Queen Elizabeth's birthday honours list published on Saturday.

"It has seriously wounded the beliefs of 1.5 billion Muslims and followers of other religions ... we hold the British government and queen responsible for the circumstances of this provocation, which caused the anger of Muslims," Rahimpour said.

IRNA quoted Adams as saying the knighting of Rushdie was a cultural, not a political, act.

The Islamic Republic's government formally distanced itself in 1998 from the original fatwa against Rushdie, issued by Khomeini who said the book committed blasphemy against Islam. Khomeini died in 1989.

But shortly after it disavowed the death edict under a deal with Britain, Iranian media said three Iranian clerics called on followers to kill Rushdie, saying the fatwa was irrevocable.

thestaronline | June 20, 2007

[Babz]

Quite a few people over here cannot understand why he was given knighthood !!!!!

[DigitaLVampirE]

Honestly, i don't understand it either. It seems all you need to do is create some offensive "literary" work and you get the sword tapped on your shoulders.
What's next? Knighting Dan Brown?

[Gypsum_Fantastic]

I think it's useful, perhaps even necessary, to stick two fingers up at these Muslim bigots and, if nothing else, Rushdie's knighthood will serve that purpose.

When they say it will "hamper interfaith understanding" what they mean is that you shouldn't say or do anything that will offend Muslims.

[DigitaLVampirE]

"Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right, but that is not the right to say anything for any reason. Used to devalue human dignity, it devalues the very freedoms on which it is based."
Rev. Samuel Kobia (World Council of Churches)

[Gypsum_Fantastic]

Originally Posted by DigitaLVampirE

"Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right, but that is not the right to say anything for any reason. Used to devalue human dignity, it devalues the very freedoms on which it is based."
Rev. Samuel Kobia (World Council of Churches)

Meaningless drivel. Freedom of speech is the right to say whatever one wishes even if that causes offence.

Ironically, I find the behaviour of offended Muslims offensive, in fact, I consider it more offensive - with its threat of violence - than comments and opinions about their religion which offer no threat other than to their fragile faith.