photo: IRIB

Knighting Rushdie triggered global angry protests

Karachi, 2007/06/22, IOL

Knighting Rushdie has triggered angry protests across Pakistan and other countries.

The Pakistani parliament has unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the award and asking London to withdraw the title.

Islamabad and Tehran summoned the respective British ambassadors to receive complaints about the Rushdie award.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, said the "timing of the British award to Rushdie has not created a conducive situation" for understanding between religions.

The Egyptian parliament criticized the award, describing it as a worse error than the Danish cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.).

Malaysian Muslims held a rare noisy demonstration on Wednesday outside the British High Commission to oppose Rushdie's knighthood.

Iraq has also condemned the award.

Rushdie, who turned 60 on Tuesday, has spent the last 18 years living in the shadow of the Iranian fatwa calling for his death, which has never been formally revoked.

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