Britain admits Rushdie book ‘offensive’

Press, 4 March 1989, Page 10

Britain admits Rushdie book ‘offensive’

NZPA-Reuter London Britain, apparently seeking to cool a row with Iran, has described Salman Rushdie’s novel, “The Satanic Verses,” as offensive to Muslims and Britons alike. The Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, said on Thursday that Britain not \ only understood Muslim indignation but resented comparisons drawn by Rushdie between Britain and Nazi Germany. "It goes without saying that we are not in line with, or in sympathy with, or in support of the book,” Sir Geoffrey said in an interview on 8.8. C. World Service radio. “The b00k... is offensive about our Government and about our society and we resent that.”

He added: "We respect the right of the people of

Iran to have their own religious faith; we respect the Muslim faith. We understand why the book causes offence to people of that faith.”

Sir Geoffrey simultaneously reiterated Britain’s commitment to freedom of expression and called on Teheran to lift a death edict against Rushdie for alleged blasphemy against Islam in “The Satanic Verses.” The 41-year-old author, a British subject born into a Muslim family in India, has . spent more than two weeks in hiding under armed guard. He denies the charge of blasphemy and describes the book as a surrealistic depiction of the struggle between good and evil.

But the affair has stirred an international furor and virtually severed Anglo-Iranian ties. Each country has

recalled its diplomats from the other’s capital and Iran’s Parliament voted last Tuesday to break off relations in one week unless Britain denounced Rushdie.

Sir Geoffrey’s • comments provided Britain’s clearest statement so far that it disagreed with Rushdie’s views and understood the feelings of many Muslims, who say the book vilifies the Prophet Mohammed.

But British officials denied his remarks were meant as a conciliatory gesture towards Teheran. Earlier on Thursday, Britain said it had rejected Iranian offers to hold talks on the crisis in Geneva while Iranian death threats still hung over Rushdie. Teheran denied the report, saying Iran had rejected an approach from Britain.