(17 Jun 2007) 526578
AP TELEVISION
Tehran and Brazil - 17 June 2007 and May 2003
Tehran - 17 June 2007
1. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman:
"(Referring to Salman Rushdie receiving a knighthood in British Queen Elizabeth II's birthday honours) Awarding a person who is among the most detested characters in the Islamic society is obvious proof of anti-Islamism by high ranking British officials."
File: Brazil - May 2003
2. Various of Salman Rushdie
STORYLINE:
Iran condemned Britain's decision to grant a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie, who was forced into hiding for a decade after the Islamic republic's spiritual leader ordered his assassination.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the decision to grant Britain's highest honour to Rushdie, who wrote the controversial novel "The Satanic Verses", was an insult to the Muslim world.
Rushdie went into hiding after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a 1989 fatwa, or religious edict, authorising Muslims to kill the author because "The Satanic Verses" allegedly insulted Islam.
The Iranian government declared in 1998 that it would not support, but could not rescind the fatwa.
Rushdie has said he receives "a sort of Valentine's card" from Iran each year on February 14, letting him know the country has not forgotten the vow to end his life.
Rushdie said of the Knighthood that he was thrilled and humbled and very grateful that his work had been recognised in this way.
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