Muslim groups in Britain have branded the Government “duplicitous” for awarding Salman Rushdie a Knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

In a joint letter to The Guardian newspaper today, groups representing British Muslims including The Muslim Council of Britain, Islamic Human Rights, and the British Muslim Initiative, call the honour a “deliberate provocation and insult to the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world”.

The statement comes after widespread anger and demonstrations in Pakistan and Iran at the decision to honour the author of the “Satanic Verses”. The government of Pakistan called on Britain to repeal the honour and hardliners in the country burnt effigies of the author and the Queen in protest.

The joint statement accuses the British Government of hypocrisy and deliberately offending Muslim sensibilities “The ‘honouring’ of Rushdie at a time when the British government claims to be trying to build bridges with the Muslim community can only be seen as duplicitous” the letter reads. “We regard this as a conscious effort not only to offend Muslim sensibilities but also to sow seeds of division.”

Muslim world inflamed by knighthood

A Pakistani minister said that Salman Rushdie's knighthood justified suicide bombings

• British minister: 'We stand by Rushdie knighthood'

BACKGROUND

• Honour Bound

• Suicide bomb threat over Rushdie knighthood

• Britain responds in Rushdie row

• Rushdie knighthood reignites the debate

• Troubled honour

Related Internet Links

• A symbol of free speech. Sign our petition in support of Sir Salman Rushdie

The comments echo those made by Lord Ahmed following the announcement of the notorious author’s knighthood. Britain’s first Muslim peer said at the time: "It's hypocrisy by Tony Blair, who two weeks ago was talking about building bridges to mainstream Muslims, and then he's honouring a man who has insulted the British public and been divisive in community relations."