Pakistan turns to OIC on Rushdie



Nirupama Subramanian





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Near-isolation in Islamic world for Islamabad

More heat in Parliament than on the streets
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ISLAMABAD: Finding itself in near-isolation in the Islamic war over the Rushdie knighthood affair, Pakistan is trying to rope in the Organisation of Islamic Conference to take a stand on the issue. Pakistan started a diplomatic row with the United Kingdom over the British Government’s honour to the author, and Iran quickly followed, but other countries in the Muslim world have been quiet.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said at her weekly briefing on Monday she could not comment on the silence of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Malaysia or Indonesia. But she said Pakistan had “formally approached the Organisation of Islamic Countries to take a position” on the knighthood.
Pakistan’s National Assembly adopted a second resolution last Friday against the knighthood to author Salman Rushdie, with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz joining in the growing chorus of condemnation of the British Government for refusing to withdraw the honour.

The second resolution by the parliamentary Lower House said the British Government had “not only disappointed the Pakistani people but also injured their sentiments” by ignoring the National Assembly’s first resolution on June 18 asking that the title of “Sir” to Mr. Rushdie be withdrawn, and renewed the demand. The Senate also passed a resolution making the same demand.

Mr. Aziz said on the floor of the House that the British decision “has hurt the feelings of Muslims”. He said Muslims “will never tolerate derogatory remarks” against Prophet Muhammad.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the resolutions in the National Assembly and the Senate represented the sentiments of the people of Pakistan.

But the knighthood controversy seems to have generated more heat in Parliament and in the corridors of Government than on the streets. Unlike at the time of the Danish cartoons controversy, there were only sporadic protests against the award to Mr. Rushdie, and they had died down completely by the end of the week.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/26/stor...2651551400.htm

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The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta,
held as a votive, not in vain, for the value
and veracity of such shall one day vindicate
the vigilant and the virtuous.
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