Backlash grows against British award of knighthood to Salman Rushdie

Pakistani Religious Affairs Minister Mohammed Ijaz ul-Haq also appeared to call for Rushdie's murder. The Associated Press quoted him as saying that "If someone exploded a bomb on his body, he would be right to do so unless the British government apologizes and withdraws the 'sir' title."

Mr. Haq, a son of a former Pakistani dictator, has since said he was misunderstood and has announced plans to go to Britain.

The 52-year-old minister said the schedule of his visit was not finalized but that it would give him an opportunity to better convey his point of view." The visit would also help clear many things and misunderstandings about my remarks about the knighting of Salman Rushdie by Britain," added the minister.

But Pakistan's The Dawn, that country's leading English-language newspaper, quoted former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as calling for Haq's dismissal, alleging that he has links to suicide bombers.

Mr Haq had appointed the Lal Masjid clerics … who were running the militant madressahs known as Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Fareedia, she said. The clerics had publicly stated that the madressah housed some suicide bombers. Given the statements of the minister justifying suicide attacks as well as his connection with the Lal Masjid, Ms Bhutto said, the regime of President Gen Pervez Musharraf should immediately sack him. Any inaction, she added, would be seen as a covert act to fuel extremism while preaching moderation.

It isn't just Muslims who are attacking the award for Rushdie. The BBC reports that a conservative member of Parliament struck out at the award, saying the government should have shied away from potentially offending Muslims.

Conservative MP Stewart Jackson, chairman of the all-party group on Pakistan, said: "Salman Rushdie was subjected to one of the most famous death sentences in the 20th Century.

If the senior officers of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were not able to use their knowledge of the Islamic world to consider the likely ramifications of this decision, then I'm extremely concerned."

He believes the decision will exacerbate tensions with the Pakistani government at a time when it is struggling to deal with political uncertainty and terrorism.

But Rushdie is finding support from not only the British government but free-speech advocates. In a statement, International PEN, an organization that advocates freedom of expression for authors, attacked the "hateful" response to the knighthood.

The comments made about Salman Rushdie's knighthood and the hateful reactions to it, serve to highlight the complexities of human life and the role of literature in reflecting and debating these complexities, and furthering understanding,' says Jiøí Gruša, International President of International PEN.

Joanne Leedom-Ackerman, International Secretary of International PEN adds, "Salman Rushdie is a major writer whose works of imagination have engaged and galvanized society as important writing does. International PEN takes no position on the honors given by any government but celebrates writers being honored and opposes those who would, through intimidation and inflammatory statements, try to curb freedom of expression."

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