Jakarta, NU Online
Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, expressed regret Thursday over the granting of a British knighthood to author Salman Rushdie.
"The timing of the award is not right to create a conducive atmosphere and mutual understanding between civilizations, cultures and religions," Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda was quoted by DPA as telling reporters.<>
Rushdie went into hiding in 1989 after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a religious edict ordering Muslims to kill the writer because he was charged with insulting Islam in his novel The Satanic Verses.
Iran's government said in 1998 that it would not support the edict but could not rescind the order.
Several Indonesian Muslim leaders also expressed disappointment over the knighthood, which was bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II, saying London failed to understand the feelings of the global Islamic community.
"There is no reason to reward people who have insulted the holy book of Islam," said Arief Awaluddin, a politician from the Muslim-based Justice and Welfare Party. "He (Rushdie) is not a human rights campaigner. He is also not a thinker pushing mutual understanding among interfaith followers."
Awaluddin said Rushdie's knighthood would only hurt Muslims' feelings and indicated Britain was not creating understanding among different religions.
Unlike other Muslim nations, Indonesia has seen no street protests since Britain announced Saturday that Rushdie would receive the honour.
As reported by Antara news agency, Rushdie, one of the most prominent novelists of the late 20th century, is to be knighted alongside CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour, a former KGB double agent and several other people. (dar)
Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, expressed regret Thursday over the granting of a British knighthood to author Salman Rushdie.
"The timing of the award is not right to create a conducive atmosphere and mutual understanding between civilizations, cultures and religions," Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda was quoted by DPA as telling reporters.<>
Rushdie went into hiding in 1989 after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a religious edict ordering Muslims to kill the writer because he was charged with insulting Islam in his novel The Satanic Verses.
Iran's government said in 1998 that it would not support the edict but could not rescind the order.
Several Indonesian Muslim leaders also expressed disappointment over the knighthood, which was bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II, saying London failed to understand the feelings of the global Islamic community.
"There is no reason to reward people who have insulted the holy book of Islam," said Arief Awaluddin, a politician from the Muslim-based Justice and Welfare Party. "He (Rushdie) is not a human rights campaigner. He is also not a thinker pushing mutual understanding among interfaith followers."
Awaluddin said Rushdie's knighthood would only hurt Muslims' feelings and indicated Britain was not creating understanding among different religions.
Unlike other Muslim nations, Indonesia has seen no street protests since Britain announced Saturday that Rushdie would receive the honour.
As reported by Antara news agency, Rushdie, one of the most prominent novelists of the late 20th century, is to be knighted alongside CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour, a former KGB double agent and several other people. (dar)
