Pak MPs: Rushdie knighthood 'justifies suicide attacks'

[mawilson 2,133]

The award of a knighthood to the author Salman Rushdie justifies suicide attacks,

a Pakistani government minister said today.

"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, told the Pakistani parliament in Islamabad.

"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 apologises and

withdraws the 'sir' title."

After his comments were reported on local news stations, Mr ul-Haq told MPs that his aim

had been to look into the root causes of terrorism.

The comments follow other condemnation of the award for Rushdie, whose novel

The Satanic Verses provoked worldwide protests over allegations that it insulted Islam.

He received the knighthood for services to literature in the Queen's birthday honours list

published on Saturday.

Earlier today Pakistani MPs demanded Britain withdraw Rushdie's knighthood.

A government-backed resolution condemning the author's knighthood was passed

unanimously by the lower house of the Pakistani parliament amid angry protests across

the country.

MPs said the honour was an insult to the religious sentiments of Muslims. In the eastern

city of Multan, hardline Muslim students burned effigies of the Queen and Rushdie, chanting

"Kill him! Kill him!"

Pakistan's minister for parliamentary affairs, Sher Afgan Khan Niazi, who proposed the

resolution condemning the honour, branded Rushdie a "blasphemer".

She told MPs: "The 'sir' title from Britain for blasphemer Salman Rushdie has hurt the

sentiments of the Muslims across the world. Every religion should be respected. I demand

the British government immediately withdraw the title as it is creating religious hatred."

Also today, Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said

many Muslims would regard the knighthood as the final insult from Tony Blair before he

leaves office next week.

"Salman Rushdie earned notoriety amongst Muslims for the highly insulting and blasphemous

manner in which he portrayed early Islamic figures," Dr Bari said.

"The granting of a knighthood to him can only do harm to the image of our country in the eyes

of hundreds of millions of Muslims across the world. Many will interpret the knighthood as a

final contemptuous parting gift from Tony Blair to the Muslim world."

Yesterday, Iranian politicians accused Britain of insulting Islam by awarding the knighthood to

Rushdie, who was forced into hiding for a decade after the country's late spiritual leader,

Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa calling for his assassination.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, said the decision to honour

the novelist was an orchestrated act of aggression directed against Islamic societies.

He said Rushdie was "one of the most hated figures" in the Islamic world.

"Honouring and commending an apostate and hated figure will definitely put the British officials

[in a position] of confrontation with Islamic societies," Mr Hosseini said.

"This act shows that insulting Islamic sacred [values] is not accidental. It is planned, organised,

guided and supported by some western countries."

"Giving a badge to one of the most hated figures in Islamic society is ... an obvious example

of fighting against Islam by high-ranking British officials."

The Iranian government formally distanced itself in 1998 from the original fatwa against Rushdie,

issued in 1989 by Khomeini.

But shortly after it disavowed the death edict under a deal with Britain, the Iranian media said

three Iranian clerics had called on followers to kill Rushdie, saying the fatwa was irrevocable and

that it was the duty of Muslims to carry it out.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said the honour was "richly deserved" and the reasons for it

were "self-explanatory".

In a statement after the announcement of his knighthood on Saturday, Rushdie, 59, said he was

"thrilled and humbled to receive this great honour".

Source

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

"Honouring and commending an apostate and hated figure will definitely put the British officials

[in a position] of confrontation with Islamic societies," Mr Hosseini said.

A much needed confrontation.

There's no question who would win and who would get their azzes kicked.

[William33 110]

Not smart. Why stir the pot any further?

[homesick_american 1]

I can't hear you guys over the sound of the bottom of the barrel being scraped.

The one that irritates me is Shami Chakrabati....she practically invented selective outrage. She sucks.

[mawilson 2,133]

Not smart. Why stir the pot any further?

You can't make Islamic Vinaigrette an omelette if you don't break any eggs.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I can't hear you guys over the sound of the bottom of the barrel being scraped.

The one that irritates me is Shami Chakrabati....she practically invented selective outrage. She sucks.

Who is she?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Not smart. Why stir the pot any further?

Sure, let's just collectively bend over and take it up the tailpipe.

Edited June 18, 2007 by ET-US2004

[homesick_american 1]

I can't hear you guys over the sound of the bottom of the barrel being scraped.

The one that irritates me is Shami Chakrabati....she practically invented selective outrage. She sucks.

Who is she?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6758217.stm

Stands up for terrorists' rights.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I can't hear you guys over the sound of the bottom of the barrel being scraped.

The one that irritates me is Shami Chakrabati....she practically invented selective outrage. She sucks.

Who is she?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6758217.stm

Stands up for terrorists' rights.

Why can't she do the world a favor and blow herself up?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Hmm. She's ugly, don't worry, no one takes an ugly broad seriously.

[homesick_american 1]

Hmm. She's ugly, don't worry, no one takes an ugly broad seriously.

Obviously you never listen to BBC Radio 4. Or watch BBC News.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Hmm. She's ugly, don't worry, no one takes an ugly broad seriously.

Obviously you never listen to BBC Radio 4. Or watch BBC News.

What's really disturbing about this is her last name. I won't get into details, but people of that last name have a history of being targeted by Muslim extremists in the subcontinent.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I can't hear you guys over the sound of the bottom of the barrel being scraped.

The one that irritates me is Shami Chakrabati....she practically invented selective outrage. She sucks.

Who is she?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6758217.stm

Stands up for terrorists' rights.

Why can't she do the world a favor and blow herself up?

Careful before you condemn her out of hand. I'm not overly familiar with her - but the few quotes that I found would seem to suggest that if she supports terrorists rights, then so does every human rights charity; or indeed anyone who questions Bush administration policy regarding Guantanamo Bay, Secret "black hole" prisons, and the use of torture.

[mawilson 2,133]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6758217.stm

Stands up for terrorists' rights.

I have no problem with that. Terrorists do have the same rights as you or me. In particular,

they have the right to be presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

The erosion of civil liberties is becoming increasingly worrying and should not be taken lightly.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6758217.stm

Stands up for terrorists' rights.

I have no problem with that. Terrorists do have the same rights as you or me. In particular,

they have the right to be presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

The erosion of civil liberties is becoming increasingly worrying and should not be taken lightly.

I don't like the way that the debate continues to be mischaracterised - that if you care about human rights and civil liberties, you must support terrorists.

I think ET remembers that Pakistani man who was deported (after being mistakenly identified) to a foreign country for torture.