Rushdie row politicized

What is necessary for the non-Muslim world to understand is that Iran has become a victim of coordinated attempts to politicize this purely religious edict (to have British author Salman Rusdhie assassinated).

Since Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses blasphemed the Prophet Mohammed and other sacred Islamic tenets, the author is, by Islamic edict, sentenced to death.

It is an Islamic edict confirmed by all Muslims and Muslim leaders. It has been endorsed by the Organization of Islamic Conference and even some Christian personalities.

The western media has politicized the issue and created tension between Iran and European countries. The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has stated several times that the edict is a religious one and that the government is not bound to, and will not, send any commandos to kill Salman Rushdie.

Therefore, the expectations of Rushdie supporters for the revocation of the fatwa are irrational.

Such expectations injure the feelings of world Muslims, who constitute about one-fifth of the world population.

It is a natural right of world Muslims, and any other religious group, to be able to declare a religious edict on a person who blasphemes their sacred tenets.

A religious edict is by nature irrevocable. The world media should realize this fact and avoid politicizing the issue.

It is in the interest of the world community to respect the verdict as a purely religious one. This will prepare a healthy ground for intellectuals and writers to explore the unfurrowed fields of knowledge without hurting the sentiments of others.

This will also prepare a congenial ground for all religions to engage in a meaningful dialog for better understanding of each other.

-- The Tehran Times