Rage In Iran Over Rushdie Knighthood

In protests in Iran following the granting of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie, activists from the Basij paramilitary organization gathered on June 16 near the British Embassy in Tehran to call for the ambassador's expulsion, and expressed their willingness to wage jihad.

They also prevented invitees to a ceremony marking the Queen's Birthday from entering the building.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini noted that giving Rushdie a knighthood harmed the feelings of the Muslims, and that it would cause conflict between British politicians and Islamic societies.

Also, the secretary-general of the Iranian Organization for the Preservation of the Martyrs of the World Islamic Movement, Firooz Rajai-Far, announced an increase in the reward for anyone assassinating Rushdie, from $100,000 to $150,000.

Sources: Rooz, Aftab, Iran, June 17, 2007; IRNA, Iran, June 18, 2007

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Egyptian blogger Abdelkareem Nabil Suleiman was arrested for allegedly "defaming the President of Egypt" and "highlighting inappropriate aspects the harm the reputation of Egypt" on his blog.

A petition calling for his release has been posted online by the HAMSA organization ("Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance"), an American Muslim association for promoting civil rights in the Middle East.

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