Fatwa alive, say British Muslims

THE MUSLIM community in Great Britain was split yesterday between those still angered by Salman Rushdie's book The Satanic Verses and those who want to put the damaging affair behind them.

Anjem Choudary, secretary general of the Society of Muslim Lawyers, said Rushdie was still in danger. "Anyone who insults Islam is subject to the death penalty," he said. "There are a lot of people here who would not like to see him walking the streets. Even if he apologises and repents he will still be subject to the death penalty."

Faisal Bodi, of the Q-news Muslim newspaper, said Muslims reaction was uniform: "Irrespective of what goes on in Tehran, the offence still continues in the form of the book."

But Sahib Mustaqim Bleher, general secretary of the Islamic Party of Great Britain, said many Muslims wanted to put the damaging row behind them. "Nobody likes him, but things have moved on since then," he said.