Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
I have to admit, I’m none too impressed with the thought that Salman Rushdie has been handed a knighthood.
Whether or not he’s had a successful book career, this is a man who makes a living out of what many Muslims consider to be inflammatory and blasphemous writing and had to hide out in the UK for many years because of a fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini.
With the recent stand off the UK has had with Iran, this is hardly the time to publicly recognise one of its most despised adversaries. Surely they could think of someone to knight who would create less of a furore.
Whether or not he is hated by most Muslims across the globe is debatable and for Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman to say that the knighthood shows “Islamophobia among British officials” is possibly taking things a little far but there is no doubt that diplomacy in the matter, so soon after 16 sailors were held in Iran, is sadly lacking. Besides, worthy or not of a knighthood, does anyone actually know anyone who’s managed to plough through one of his books without falling asleep?
