ISLAM, THE RELIGION OF PEACE & TOLERANCE
Muslim peer compares Rushdie to 9/ll bombers
By Duncan Gardham
A Muslim peer compared Salman Rushdie to the September 11 hijackers today as the row over the author's knighthood escalated.
Demonstrators outside Regents Park Mosque
Demonstrators outside Regents Park Mosque
At Regents Park Mosque in London, protestors held up placards saying "May God curse the Queen" and one speaker told followers Tony Blair should be sent back from the Middle East "in a bag".
And in Iran, a senior cleric told worshippers at Friday prayers that the fatwa against Mr Rushdie was still valid.
Interviewed in Le Figaro newspaper in France, the Labour peer Lord Ahmed of Rotherham added fuel to the row when he hit out at Mr Rushdie.
"This honour is given in recognition of services rendered to Great Britain," he said. "Salman Rushdie lives in New York. He is controversial man who has insulted Muslim people, Christians and the British. He does not deserve the honour.
"Two weeks ago Tony Blair spoke about constructing bridges with Muslims. What hypocrisy."
"What would one say if the Saudi or Afghan governments honoured the martyrs of the September 11 attacks on the United States?"
His words follow that of the Pakistani religious affairs minister Ijaz ul-Haq who said the move to honour Mr Rushdie justified suicide bombings.
The protest at Regents Park was organised by Anjem Choudary, a former leader of al-Muhajiroun who also organised the protests against the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed which led to several convictions.
At the rally, two dozen protestors burned a paper St George's flag and called for the Queen to "go to hell."
One speaker referred to Tony Blair's possible role as a Middle East envoy, adding: "I hope Tony Blair comes back in a bag. What bag is up to you."
Placards held by the protestors read: "Insults towards the Prophet = praises from the Queen" and "Hatred uttered from the tongue but what is in their hearts is far worse."
Leaflets handed out to people leaving the mosque after Friday prayers said: "The British Government's decision to honour Salman Rushdie is a public demonstration of their hatred and contempt towards Islam."
Protestors attacked photographers and one shouted: "Salman Rushdie is a devil. He should be attacked. We as Muslims should never forget how he insulted the Prophet."
"We have a responsibility to hold the Queen accountable for standing with the people who insult Islam."
In a letter to more than 500 mosques, the Muslim Council of Britain accused Tony Blair personally of rewarding an author who had "vilified" Islam.
"Muslims can only see this action as an attempt to create deep offence to Muslims and divert their attention from contributing to community cohesion in these challenging times," said secretary-general Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari.
But he called for peaceful protest and added: "We should not allow the situation to be inflamed in any way or exploited by unsavoury groups."
In Iran a senior cleric said the 1989 fatwa, issued by Ayatollah Kohmeini calling for the killing of Mr Rushdie remained in place and could not be revoked.
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British Muslims burn St George's flag at anti-Rushdie rally
Muslims burned the flag of St George and called for the Queen to 'Go to Hell' in a furious rally held in London over Salman Rushdie's knighthood.
Angry Muslim extremists rallying at Regents Park Mosque said that anger over the award could match the fierce reaction to publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark in 2006.
Organisers of a protest outside the mosque claimed several hundred demonstrators were denouncing the decision to reward Rushdie, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" led to a death threat from Iran in 1989.
"This knighthood is just another example of Tony Blair and his government's attempts to secularize Muslims and reward apostates," said Anjem Choudray, protest organizer and an ex-head of the British wing of the banned radical group al-Muhajiroun.
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