Tariq Ramadan does not think Rushdie?s blasphemy of Islam and Prophet Muhammad is a serious issue.

Part of today?s (18 June 2007) BBC2 News night programme looked at the controversy caused by the British Government?s decision to give the satanic Salman Rushdie a knighthood for his literary work, reputed by his ?Satanic Verses? which Muslims all over the world have condemned without reservations. In the programme, presenter Gavin Esler asked for the opinions of Tariq Ramadan, a guest of the British Government in the aftermath of 7th July 2005 tube bombings, and that of Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, particularly in the context of the demand of the Government of Pakistan for Britain to withdraw the honour of a knighthood awarded to author Salman Rushdie. The following is a summary of the views exchanged by Lord Ahmed and Tariq Ramadan when questioned by Gavin Esler.

1. Tariq Ramadan says that the Government of Pakistan is using the emotions of Muslims for political reasons and that he does not consider the conferring of the honour of a Knighthood on the blasphemer Salman Rushdie a serious issue. Ramadan also refers to the blasphemous Danish cartoons against Prophet Muhammad, which he also feels were not a serious matter but used for political reasons by Muslims.

2. Lord Ahmed of Rotherham considers that Salman Rushdie?s Knighthood is a slap in the face of the so-called ?interfaith work? carried out at the behest of the British government. Lord Ahmed considers that insulting Prophet Muhammad and Islam are very serious, sensitive and emotional issues likely to provoke Muslims both in the UK and abroad. Lord Ahmed argues that there are much more deserving people, such as Robert Fisk whose literary contribution far surpasses Salman Rushdi?s, who have been left out.

People should be reminded that Tariq Ramadan is an employee of the British Government, upon the advice of the British Secret Services (MI5 & MI6). His mission is to justify the actions of the British Government and her allies, whether in matters of foreign policy, such as the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and the arming of terrorist states against Muslims, or in matters of internal policy, such as laws to terrorise and imprison Muslims and the conferring of honours on those who blaspheme Islam and Prophet Muhammad. Tariq Ramadam is also a member of the Lokahi Foundation, which is used by the British Government to conduct inter-faith research. Lord Ahmed feels such ?research? is useless when knighthood is conferred upon the likes of Salman Rushdie.

The decision to honour a blasphemer like Salman Rushdie with a knighthood is clearly a political decision in the crusade of the political West against Muslims and Islam, something which is not in the interests of the faithful Tariq Ramadan, himself honoured as European of the Year, to comment upon.

<B>Rafic SOORMALLY</B> London, 18 June 2007