Rushdie row: Pak summons UK envoy

Unhappy over the UK's decision to confer Knighthood on India-born author Salman Rushdie, Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the British High Commissioner to the Foreign Office to convey its resentment.

The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Robert Brinkley, was called to the Foreign Office in Islamabad and told that it was not expected from the UK government, which has a large Muslim population, to honour Rushdie whose writings have 'hurt' the Muslims all over the world, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said.

She said 59-year-old Rushdie, whose book Satanic Verses infuriated Muslims, was known less for his literary contributions and more for his ''offensive and insulting writings that caused deep hurt to Muslims all over the world.''

Brinkley was told that Pakistan deeply resent the decision of the British government to award Knighthood to Rushdie, she said.

The British envoy was also given the copies of the resolutions passed by the Pakistan Parliament condemning the The UK government's decision.

Earlier, there was an uproar in Pakistan against the British government's knighthood to writer Salman Rushdie.

A resolution was passed in the lower house of Parliament demanding the British government retract the title and some even said it would spawn terrorism.

Break diplomatic ties

The government also asked Islamic countries to break diplomatic ties with Britain if it refuses to rescind its move to honour the controversial writer and apologise for it.

''I said that when you award a knighthood to a controversial person who has no other credentials other than the fact that he wrote a blasphemous book, it will lead to extremism and suicide attackers will justify their acts,'' said Ejaz ul Haq, Pakistan Religious Minister.

Haq also asked Muslims to boycott British diplomats, forcing their government to withdraw the ''Sir'' title to Rushdie.

However, opponents of Ejaz ul Haq say that such statements would only incite violence. The government re-iterated its unhappiness with London.

Britain's envoy to Pakistan has said that the Knighthood for Rushdie was in no way intended to insult Islam.

''It is simply untrue to suggest that this is in anyway an insult to Islam or the Prophet Mohammed. Islam is now the second largest religion represented in Britain and we have enormous respect for Islam as a religion and for its intellectual and cultural achievements,'' said Robert Brinkley, British High Commissioner to Pakistan.

Iran though insists it shows 'Islamophobia' among British officials.

And the protests, it seems are growing, reminiscent of the 1990s where the author went into hiding after the fatwa against him for the Satanic Verses. (With PTI inputs)

NDTV Correspondent
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 (Islamabad)

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*For more information:
A summary of the conflict over Rushdie’s Satanic Verses

*DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you think that Britain should knight Salmon Rushdie?

Do you think that knighting Rushdie is an attack on Islam?

What do you think about the idea of ‘Islamophobia’? Do you see evidence of this in your country?
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