Terrorist are wrong because they push extremisim and the
Govt.of Britain is wrong because they are pushing an
extremist issue by supporting Salman Rushdie as if this
move is needed and wholesome.We have become a"soap
opera" society in that we love sinsation and extreme and
then we are shocked when we see the fruit of what we have
planted.The terroist are not Muslims in any way,so we don`t
need moderate Muslims to stand up we need Muslims to
stand out and to be accepted as being true.I was air force/
army and Muslim,dose that count...

levasta m. al-naziat, San antonio, Texas

"However, one senior British official said that the incident had not weakened the “very good relationship” with Pakistan."

Pity - I had hoped their hissy-fit would extend to refusing to accept the aid we shower on them!

Mike Bibby, St Albans, England -not EU

What right is it of another country to control your decisions. Personally I'm sick of the FEAR of Muslim retribution. You have stopped teaching the Holocaust in areas because of the Muslim backlash. Now you are going to change your opinion of literature for the same reason.

The Jewish people and those who believe in history don't like your choice to avoid conflict by not teaching truth. What if they chose to threaten you?

reza santorini, scunthorpe, Lincolnshire

It is OK for Iran and Pakistan to express feelings ubt it is not okay for anyone to express threats. Britain must push back much harder or risk validating the angst of fanatics.
It might actually help to explain repeatedly that freedom of expression is a given, that few educated Westerners believe. in organized religion.

Emma Hawhtorne, Ottawa, CAN

I find honour killings, state-sponsored religious intolerance, homophobia, misogyny, capital punishment and mob-reaction to basic freedoms of speech offensive and disrespectful to my secular humanist principles. What should we do about that?
PS Knighthoods are a throwback to less enlightened times also - Rushdie should have rejected it in the first place

IM, London,

One thing that is always forgotten: Rushdie writes novels. They are stories. Made up, imagined, never really happened. We are talking about one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language. Complex, yes, but also funny, clever, and very impressive. His stories and writing are simply outstanding. But remember, they are all fiction.

Norm Deplume, sarasota, FL

Come on, did anyone actually finish The Satanic Verses. And that most revered Rushdie book, Midnight's Children, nothing more than a sub-continental reworking of Grass' The Tin Drum. People need to realise what goes on behind the scenes when choosing people for these 'honours'. I'm talking about the lobbying, the vested interests, the politics. Scrap Rushdie's knighthood and everyone elses with it.

neil bradley, liverpool, UK

Islam, the "religion" of perpetual outrage.

Sven, Portland,

The timesonline are looking for another thread with 250+ anti-Islamic posts. I'm sure you'll get them...i can hear the herd coming. lol

This place is getting popular.

Stanzler, New York, USA

The knighthood awarded to Salman Rushdie is absolutely right and correct. The determined move by the British Govt. to respect and reward people of prominence who have contributed in the field of literature, culture and civlisation with absolute freedom of speech and thought irrespective of the barriers of nation and religion is highly appreciable. It is infact a sparkling monument in the dark corridors of time especially as of now.
Hearty congratulations to the concerned .

C V Somar, Kottayam, India, Kerala

So, if Turkey were to award the higest honorary title to say, the president of Iran, I'm sure that our western nations would have absolutly no problems with that right?

Josh Johnson, Pleasanton, California

Sir,
Can one respect Islam without respecting its Prophet? How to win friends & influence people-by advocating freedom of (Hate) speech? Recall what he wrote about white women What next, invite the Chief Rabbi for a ham sandwich & knight the Holocaust-denier Dr Irving? A queen for all her subjects? It's amazing how many foreigners see it fit to comment upon our internal issues, ehm the US posters. Freedom of speech for JUST books! Well how about Mein Kampf, Protocols of the Elders of Zion & the Anarchist's Cookbook? Anyone ever heard the saying that the pen is mightier than the sword?
Didn't the English philosopher Locke, as opposed to a Continental, say that "Complete freedom of speech is only for the newborn savage, all else is compromise on the way towards civilisation?" Barbarism being defined as unrestrained, the opposite of Civilisation.

SC, London, United Kingdom

Americans are dumb in many ways, but in this case the Brits have taken first prize. Salman Rushdie is worthy of knighthood in literature? That's like awarding knighthood to George Bush for his efforts as a Iraq peace-maker. Hey Brits: repeal his knighhood, get over your Islamophobia, and maybe America can follow. Rushdie's knighhood has nothing to do with literature and everything to do with slapping the face of Muslims. Don't be surprised if they slap you back.

Kris, Wisconsin, USA

As far as I am concerned the muslims if they have to strictly follow their religion then U.K is not the right country for them.They have no other place to market the pakistani islamic mangoes other than the U.K and how dare they burn the flag of Britain.This is a matter for the authorities to decide who and who should be honoured and for what they have been selected to honour and this has got nothing to do with offending any Religion or Race.In U.K Their Religious practice alienates them and preventing them integrating into the society. I myself believe bin those so called traditions before but now I have realised they are no longer any use in clinging to them.This is an advanced society and We have to try and run along with it to survive or will be stranded like those Ghettos created by Muslims in certain parts of U.K.
Those inside U.K who have connections with countries like pakistan will always be a threat in U.K and have to be dealt with quickly to avoid other asians being spared

K.B, london, u.k

It is incredible to me how Christians react so violently in the face of any criticism. The hypocrasy of the Christian ideology which can kills hundreds of thousands of Iraqi women and children but yet takes umbrage to any written or spoken criticisim of their policy is stark and amazing. Rushdie should be tried by the same court that tried Hussein where a crime need not be committed to be found guilty.

Kris, Wisconsin, USA

Why do people feel alarmed when there is a reaction from Muslims around the world? Because it's almost funny to hear people say, "Oh what have we done now??" I mean what do you expect when you keep provoking and insulting them, sometimes even bombing their entire villages just to kill a few of their men! Muslims value their faith strongly and this fact cannot be ignored. You want Muslims to be nice to you, stop hounding and bullying them. Provocation will indeed result in a reaction. It's about time we stopped this useless nonsense.

Mohammed Khan, Windsor, England

It is incredible to me how Muslims react so violently in the face of any criticism. The hypocrasy of an ideology which can kill innocents but yet takes umbrage to the written word which harms noone is stark and amazing.

If God is upset by Rushdie's writings, Rushdie will pay for it when he faces God. Why an insult should be something that Muslims would kill over is utterly unfathomable. If the Koran is so precious, don't listen to the criticism -- you will know in your heart that it is right, so be smug in that knowledge that God will handle it.

Dennis Mroczyk, Hamtramck, MI, USA

The headlines are so predictable ! Muslims outraged , Muslims
angered, Muslims demanding, Muslim fury, again & again.
Why do they think they can tell us what to do ?
Men who have nothing better to do & looking quite rediculous with
their shouts & arm waving.
The fact they are burning the British flag & an effigy of our Queen
should surely make them feel more than equal in the insult stakes.
They behave like a bunch of bully boys in the name of Islam, the
religion of peace ?

Maggie Millington, Brittany, France

I guess the British government and the US government long before they take action should pass everything they propose to do before a council of Muslim clerics to make sure it's OK.

Dave, Victroria,

Isn't it time the Pakistani High Comissioner was summoned to answer for Pakistans insult to our Queen and Country which is real and not imagined? He probably wont be, at least not by this pussy footed bunch of spineless wimps we have as a government! Get a backbone people!
Incidentally I haven't heard or read a word of condemnation of his countrymen from the Lord Nazir Ahmed (a Pakistani who sits in the House of Lords) either! From his silence it could be construed that he is either in agreement with Pakistans stance, or could simply be worried about being thought of as part of the British establishment and therefore a fair target for some 'inflamed moslem' for not agreeing with his 'brothers'?

Mike Asacret, Cambridge, England

It is regrettable in the extreme that this controversy has been revived. Rushdie is a well established and serious writer whose career would in normal circumstances warrant the granting of an honour. That he should be thought by some followers of Islam to be unworthy because of the writing of one book, which many of them have not read but have heard about only at second hand, does not speak well for their attitude to the need for mutual respect between faiths. It would be a cause for further regret if such extreme reactions by a minority of Moslems were to be used as another excuse for anti-Western rhetoric or action. A deep study of either the Bible or the Koran could lead to interpretations of some chapters that could be claimed to be deeply offensive to followers of other faiths. Both books have elements of extreme prejudice and volence as well as sharing elements of desire for tolerance and understanding. Fortunately for the world most people discount prejudice and value tolerance.

Richard Noyce, Welshpool,

British Government is very disrespectful towards Muslims. This award was given to Rushdie to offend Muslims around the world and a calculated move. I believe in voicing my opinion in a peaceful and respectful way. Britain has a long history of hostility towards Muslims. Rushdie is third rated author and is not worth any award.

Arif Faizan, Allen, , TX, USA

Another Indian out to revolutionise two cultural gaps.....

uloq, delft,

It is vital, essential, a core value that we may, that we have the full
right tohonor and show respect to our artists and writers when they
create works that are of great value and insight -- regardless of
how satirical or caustic their works may be -- and presuming that these
works do call for directly or indirectly violence against others,
-- which Rushdie's works do not do in any way.

Good for Britain: We in the west who value freedom of artistic and
political expression, and who stand against censorship in these realms
must stand together and firm in this, our demand for these, hardwon
freedoms.

Pakistan is free to ban Rushdie's works, free to denounce them
the Rushdie -- but that state or anyone in the Muslim world is not
free to call for violence in response to expressions of ideas in art
or in speech. That we cannot agree to or abide by.

Chris Darrouzet, Half Moon Bay CA, USA

Grow up.

gerry, galway, ireland