July 10, 2007
Al-Zawahiri Threatens U.K. Over Rushdie
Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida's No. 2, has promised a "very precise response" for the British knighthood conferred on novelist Salman Rushdie.
"The policy of your predecessor has brought tragedy and defeat upon you, not only in Afghanistan and Iraq but also in the center of London," al-Zawahiri says in a 20-minute audio message released today, according to a translation by the SITE Institute. "And if you did not understand, listen, we are ready to repeat it for you, with the permission of Allah. We are sure that you have quite understood it."
In June, Rushdie's knighthood was announced among Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honors list, setting off protests throughout the Muslim world. Rushdie has been considered an enemy of extremist Muslims ever since the 1988 publication of his novel, "The Satanic Verses," which contained references to the Prophet Muhammad. The book was banned in several countries, and led Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's then-spiritual leader, to put a bounty on the author's head.
According to SITE's translation, al-Zawahiri accuses the queen and former Prime Minister Tony Blair of engineering Rushdie's knighthood as an insult to Muslims.
The British government responded by insisting the award was "a reflection of his contribution to literature," AP reports.
"The government has already made clear that Rushdie's honor was not intended as an insult to Islam or the Prophet Muhammad," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
British officials are still sorting out an apparent terrorist plot that was thwarted a couple of weekends ago. A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britons would not be cowed by this latest threat, according to the London Guardian.
"We do not intend to dignify this with a response. As the prime minister has said, we will not allow terrorists to undermine the British way of life. The British people will remain united, resolute and strong," he said.
Posted at 2:02 PM
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Al-Qaida, Europe, U.K.
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