Rushdie knighthood 'justifies suicide attacks'
Monday, 18 Jun 2007 20:03
Sir Salman Rushdie was in hiding for almost a decade
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Britain's knighthood of Salman Rushdie justifies suicide bomb attacks by Muslims, a Pakistani minister has said.
The bestowment of the honour upon the controversial author has already attracted the condemnation of Iran, and Pakistan has now also "deplored" the decision.
Pakistan's religious affairs minister Ejaz-ul-Haq told the south Asian country's national assembly: "The west always wonders about the root cause of terrorism. Such actions are the root cause of it.
"If someone commits suicide bombing to protect the honour of the Prophet Muhammad, his act is justified," he said according to a Reuters news agency translation.
"If Britain does not withdraw the award, all Muslim countries should break off diplomatic relations."
Mr ul-Haq later clarified his comments by insisting he had not meant to justify terrorism, merely attempt to explain its roots causes.
Sir Salman received a fatwa from the Iranian government in 1989 on the publication of his The Satanic Verses novel, which critics say blasphemes the Prophet Muhammad.
He was forced to exit public life until Iranian officials removed their approval of the fatwa in 1998. The edict remains in place, permitting Muslims to kill Sir Salman, but the 59-year-old has returned to normal life.
This weekend it was announced in the Queen's birthday honours list that Sir Salman was among 21 individuals receiving a knighthood.
In further condemnation from Pakistan today, the country's foreign affairs spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said: "We deplore the decision of the British government to knight him. This, we feel, is insensitive and we would convey our sentiments to the British government.
"Salman Rushdie has tried to insult and malign Muslims through his writings and this had provoked very strong reaction and sentiments in the Muslim world."
Yesterday Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Mohammad Ali Hosseini said in a press conference that the British government's decision to honour Sir Salman for services to literature reflected the UK's hatred of Islam.
But a Foreign Office spokesman refused to be drawn into suggestions that Mr Hosseini's comments reflected existing tensions between Britain and Iran demonstrated by the Iranian detention of British personnel earlier this year.
"The reasons for Sir Salman's honour are self-explanatory," he said.