HomeIran: Rushdie's 'Insults' Increase Muslim Hatred
Sunday, September 27 9:51 a.m. EDT
TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) - The death edict against Salman Rushdie cannot be revoked and the British author's ``insulting remarks'' will increase the hatred of Muslims toward him, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday.
The statement was made by Mahmoud Mohammadi, who is tipped to be Iran's new ambassador to Britain following their agreement to upgrade diplomatic relations as part of a deal in which the Iranian government distanced itself from a 1989 fatwa or religious decree against Rushdie for blasphemy against Islam in his book ``The Satanic Verses.''
Kayhan, an influential hard-line daily, called on the government to carry out the fatwa and kill Rushdie.
``The government and statesmen of the Islamic Republic of Iran...have the duty to prepare the grounds and implement this edict, and it is evident that they should not and cannot give the least guarantee on preventing the execution of this edict,'' it said in an editorial.
Tehran radio quoted the foreign ministry spokesman as saying the promotion of relations between Iran and Britain could be analyzed in the framework of world developments and the international community's new understanding of realities in Iran.
``At the same time, the irrevocability of the late Imam's edict is a fact,'' the radio quoted Mahmoudi as saying.
He said it was surprising that while Britain's Foreign Secretary Robin Cook explicitly announced Thursday that the British government and the European Union did not support insults against religious sanctities, Rushdie continued his ''insulting remarks.''
The commentary did not specify which remarks Mahmoudi was referring to. Rushdie said at a news conference in London Friday he did not regret writing ``The Satanic Verses.''
Asked whether he would apologies for having written it or bow to demands to have it removed from bookstores, the Indian- born author replied: ``There is not a chance in hell of the book being withdrawn. We have not fought a battle for freedom of speech to give in at the last moment.''
Mahmoudi said: ``Rushdie's insulting remarks will certainly increase the hatred of the Muslims of the world toward him,'' Tehran radio said.
The hard-line conservative newspaper Jomhuri Eslami said Sunday the edict issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, spiritual leader of the Iranian revolution, shortly before he died in 1989 was still effective and nothing had changed to Rushdie's benefit.
``But maybe the optimism of Rushdie and his supporters would
pave the way and accelerate the execution of the edict,'' it added.
A $2.5 million bounty to any Muslim who kills Rushdie remains on offer from an Iranian foundation and his life is still in danger, Tehran newspapers said
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