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Pakistan's parliament demands UK apology for honoring Rushdie

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Pakistan's parliament on Friday demanded an official apology from Britain for giving a knighthood to Indian-born author Salman Rushdie, considered by Muslims to be a blasphemer.
ISLAMABAD, June 22 (RIA Novosti) - Pakistan's parliament on Friday demanded an official apology from Britain for giving a knighthood to Indian-born author Salman Rushdie, considered by Muslims to be a blasphemer.

Rushdie, whose 1988 novel The Satanic Verses prompted Iran's spiritual leaders to issue a religious decree urging Muslims to kill him, was last week awarded a knighthood for services to literature in the Queen's birthday honors list.

Parliament's lower house passed a resolution demanding that Britain reverse its decision and apologize to Pakistan and other Muslim nations for hurting their religious feelings.

"This National Assembly again demands the British government and its Prime Minister Tony Blair immediately withdraw the title... and give an apology to the Muslim world," the parliament said.

The resolution condemning the decision to honor Rushdie is already the second one adopted by Islamabad's legislature this week.

Rushdie's knighthood has also prompted many Muslim activists to take to the streets in protest. A group of hard-line Muslims have offered a $165,000 reward to anyone who kills the writer.

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