Pakistan Condemns Rushdie Knighthood
Minister Warns Controversial Author's Honor May Provoke Suicide Attacks And Fuel Extremist Fire
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Pakistan's religious students burn effigies of Queen Elizabeth II and author Salman Rushdie condemning the knighthood award to Rushdie in Multan, Pakistan, on June 17, 2007. (AP Photo/Khalid Tanveer)
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Pakistan strongly condemned Britain's decision to award a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie, with a government minister suggesting Tuesday that extremist groups could consider suicide attacks as retaliation.
Rushdie, the author of the controversial book, "The Satanic Verses," which infuriated Muslims across the world when it was published in late 1980s, was awarded a knighthood for literature on Queen Elizabeth's birthday honors list, which was published Saturday.
The reaction has been building since the announcement, with Pakistan now joining Iran's official opposition to Rushdie's honored status.
"We have to look at the root causes of militancy," Ijaz ul Haq, Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs told CBS News. "The root cause is that you are giving knighthood to someone who commits blasphemy. This leads to extremism and there is a danger of people considering suicide attacks in retaliation. He must be de-knighted immediately."
Earlier reports suggested ul-Haq had endorsed suicide attacks in retaliation for Rushdie being honored, but the minister told CBS News that he was misquoted by local media, who incorrectly translated his Urdu language statement, which was then picked up by Western news organizations.
Iran accused Britain on Sunday of insulting Islamic values by knighting Rushdie — a move which revived memories of the 1989 "fatwa," or religious decree, condemning Rushdie to death, issued by Iran's late spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini. That decree forced Rushdie into hiding for nine years. He now lives in New York.
"This is a source of anguish for Muslims, and it will encourage people to commit blasphemy against Prophet Mohammad," said Sher Afghan Niazi, Pakistan's Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, in remarks before lawmakers.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry also issued a strong rebuke, prompting speculation that it might be acting primarily to keep the government on the favorable side of an anticipated public outcry. "Certainly Salman Rushdie has tried to insult and malign Muslims. We deplore the decision of the British government to knight him," said Tasneem Aslam, the senior spokeswoman for the ministry. "This decision is very obviously insensitive to the sentiments of Muslims around the world."
Diplomats from Muslim countries have warned that Britain's move could serve not only to provoke fresh protests in Islamic countries, but may also be used as a pretext for future terror attacks.
"This decision has struck a very sensitive chord. If some individual or group tries to take the law in his hands, and even attacks someone, that will be a popular thing," a senior Islamabad-based diplomat from an Islamic country told CBS News on condition of anonymity.
Some analysts have suggested the strong reaction from Pakistan's government may be a precautionary step against its critics, who often accuse President Pervez Musharraf of being too friendly with the United States. Musharraf, a general who seized power in a bloodless 1999 coup, is a crucial, though controversial, U.S. ally in the war on terror.
"For any pro-Western government in a Muslim country, it's very difficult not to take a strong public position on this issue," another Islamic country's diplomat told CBS News. "With the public already skeptical of their governments' close ties to the U.S., Islamic countries must come out strongly condemning this," added the diplomat.
Western diplomats based in Islamabad said they were expecting to see public demonstrations over the Rushdie knighthood issue, possibly called by Pakistan's more fundamental Islamic political parties. One Western official suggested such protests may provide a way for the more extreme parties to widen their appeal among members of the Pakistani public.
Farhan Bokhari has been covering southeast Asia for several large European news organizations for 16 years. Based in Islamabad, his focus is security issues, in particular al Qaeda and the regional aspects of the global fight against terrorism.
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See all 93 CommentsI hear these people that blow people up say mo hammed says it is right to kill non muslims if that is true he is not a holy man.
Mission Accomplished!!!
So I won't join in..not because of the fear of Muslim anger, but because of the wrongness of inciting hatred.
I must admit, however, that if my faith was so attacked (as it often is) I would not put a suicide belt on to murder others because I was offended.
Yet the greater intolerance is increasingly of anything religious, except for some vague "good works".
Who they he11 do they think they are to demand the British Government de-Knight somebody that didn't committ a "crime" against their stupid cult?
This is the type of junk that the west should have a united statement against...whether they agree with Rushdie being a Knight or not...does this not equal terrorism on their part? (we'll suicide bomb cuz we're azzholes who take everything way personally because of the extreme teachings of our cult)
Suck it.
to quote the fictional pirate Jack Sparrow, "they're just giving the title to anyone nowadays"
LOL
More proof that islamist are nothing but maniac muslims. LOL
Who should give a *** about a silly british nonsense knighthood but idiots, islamic idiots! LOL
Let's focus on the real world here - Israel is a real reason. Iran is a real reason. Support for corrupt governments is a real reason. Those are not pretexts, and there we should make sure our motives are pure and transparent.
This is just more censorship, and the muslim world flat out has to understand they cannot censor the world! They can hide from it if they like, but they cannot censor it, have us live by their values to avoid hurt feelings. We don't much like a lot they have to say either - but you don't see huge protests nor violence nor terrorist attacks about holocaust cartoons, and the million other areas where westerners find middle eastern values to be incomprehensible or wrong.
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