Honoring Rushdie or Maligning Islam?

One of the British traditions is for the sovereign to bestow honors, twice a year, to individuals for exceptional achievement or service in any of a very wide variety of fields including politics, science, arts. The king or queen chooses the recipients of honors or a host of titles, on the advice of the prime minister and other relevant ministers, to whom recommendations are made by their departments or members of the public - private individuals or organizations. In other words, the final list presented to the queen is the sum total of hard and intensive work undertaken by different bodies. 

Among those selected for conferring knighthood this year is Salman Rushdie. To have included his name in the list is nothing but a huge offense to Muslims and Islam. Honoring the author of "The Satanic Verses" amounts to offending the feelings of the Muslim Ummah and provoking its anger because Rushdie has defamed our Prophet (peace be upon him). This wasn't a spontaneous act by an individual or an irrational decision by an extremist organization; it was the outcome of a calculated move by many governmental bodies and approved by the British queen and the country's Prime Minister Tony Blair. 

If we take into account the crisis in the relations between the British government and its Muslim subjects and the efforts being made by the government to make peace with them and gain their trust and confidence and the impact on Muslims of Britain's participation in the war against Iraq and Afghanistan, it is not difficult to see that the government's decision to confer the knighthood on Salman Rushdie is totally unjustifiable. It's an unwise and irresponsible decision that smacks of a grudge against Muslims. It is unbecoming of a responsible government. 

It's truly unfortunate that the British government targets our religion on the pretext of fighting terrorism. Islam honors Prophet Jesus and his mother and respects the Bible. 

In his column published in Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper last week Zain Alabedin Al-Rikabi asks: "Where is the logic? Where is the conscience? Do the British queen and Prime Minister Tony Blair know that the religion their knighthood cursed and ridiculed is the same religion that:

1. honored the Christ. "Behold! The angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: His name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah." (Quran, 3:45)

2. honored the Bible. "And in their footsteps We sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: Therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: A guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah." (Quran 5:42)

3. honored Christ's disciples and invited Muslims to follow their example. "O ye who believe! Be ye helpers of Allah. As said Jesus, the son of Mary to the disciples, "Who will be my helpers to (the work of) Allah." Said the disciples, "We are Allah's helpers!" Then a portion of the Children of Israel believed, and a portion disbelieved: But We gave power to those who believed, against their enemies, and they became the ones that prevailed." (Quran 61:14)

It might be necessary to indicate that Salman Rushdie is ridiculing the Prophet and humiliating Islam. His book is bereft of any literary merit, or linguistic beauty. He can't claim originality of ideas as the majority of the British elite agrees. Jack Straw, former foreign minister and current Commons leader, has cast doubt on Salman Rushdie's knighthood and confessed he found Rushdie's writings incomprehensible.

"I'm afraid I found his books rather difficult and I've never managed to get to the end of any of them, despite a basic rule I have which is if you start a book you have to finish it. I'm afraid his writing has defeated me," he said.

It's also important to note that the British government won't think of honoring any British citizen who does not agree with the Israeli views on the Nazi Holocaust or anyone who criticizes the Israeli policies, however prominent and distinguished this person may be. 

Is it too much to expect from the Islamic world a reaction that is equal to the offense caused to it? Can't we expect condemnations from governments and Parliaments and organizations in the Arab/Muslim Arab world including the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference?

Muhammad Salahuddin is columnist for Arab News and can be reached at [email protected]