Salman Rushdie’s Knighthood Re-awakens anger in Muslim World

The writer’s novel “The Satanic Verses” is considered to be blasphemy
 

 Amin George Forji

    Indian born writer, Salman Rushdie may be a wanted man amongst Muslims, but in Britain he is a hero. During the weekend, he was knighted by the English Queen Elizabeth II, in honor of his writings and outstanding achievements. The 60-years old Rushdie was one of the Queen’s 950 special guests at her birthday on Saturday.

“I am thrilled and humbled to receive this great honor, and am very grateful that my work has been recognized in this way,” Sir Rushdie rejoiced on receiving he honor.

Paradoxically, the same Rushdie has a life death sentence awaiting him in the Muslim world. Iran and Pakistan have both made requests the British government to withdraw the knighthood, saying it is a provocative act that not only insults the Muslim world but their faith as well.
 

     His crime and fame both come from his controversial fourth novel “The Satanic Verses” (1988). As whimsical as the tale was, Rushdie’s tale which was a mere re-telling of an old legend in a fictional form, depicted many verses in the Qu’ran as not only misleading, but originating from Satan, and that Prophet Muhammad had deleted many of them.
 

   In response to what was widely considered by Muslims as outright blasphemy to their religion, the then Iranian spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 issued a fatwa ordering Rushdie’s execution, enforceable by any Muslim in any part of the world. The release of the book led to several angry protests and demonstrations in various cities in the Muslim world, which ended with the loss of at least 25 lives.
 

Although banned in many countries, the irony is that the more people protested, the more the book became a best seller. But Rushdie had to pay a bitter price. He was forced to go into hiding for a good part of his life, returning to public life only after a decade in 1999.
 

Iran Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned its Tehran UK ambassador Geoffrey Adams in protest of the knighthood.
 ”This insulting, suspicious and improper act by the British government is an obvious example of fighting against Islam… It has seriously wounded the beliefs of 1.5 billion Muslims and followers of other religions.” Ebrahim Rahimpour  Iran’s Foreign Ministry Director for Europe later declared on the state-run Irna news agency.
  

The Pakistani foreign ministry also summoned it’s Islamabad, British High Commissioner Robert Brinkley on he same issue. Before the meeting,  Mohammad Ejaz ul-Haq, the Pakistani Religious Affairs Minister had sparked controversy when he said the award may now justify syicide bombings.
“If someone commits suicide bombing to protect the honour of the Prophet Muhammad, his act is justified,” Ejaz ul-Haq was quoted as saying by reporters.