MUSLIMS GROUPS ANGRY AT RUSHDIE'S KNIGHTHOOD
(26 June 2007)

Leading Muslim groups in the UK , from across the political and theological spectrum, have come together in an unprecedented way to formulate and issue a statement in response to the decision to confer a knighthood upon Salman Rushdie. The statement, which describes the knighthood as a "deliberate provocation and insult to the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world", is being printed in today's Guardian newspaper.

Signatories of the statement include the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Muslim Association of Britain, Muslim Council of Britain, Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain , Muslim Action Committee, UK Islamic Mission, Federation of Student Islamic Societies, British Muslim Initiative, Islamic Centre of England, Muslim Council of Wales, Muslim Council of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Muslim Family Association.

The full text of the statement is: "We, the undersigned, strongly deplore the recent conferring of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie. We see this as a deliberate provocation and insult to the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. The “honouring” of Rushdie at a time when the British government claims to be trying to build bridges with the Muslim community can only be seen as duplicitous. We regard this as a conscious effort not only to offend Muslim sensibilities but also to sow seeds of division. In honouring Rushdie, the Prime Minister has demonstrated how little regard he has for Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)."