British Muslims Protest Rushdie's Honor

Pakistani protesters rally against the British government for awarding a knighthood to British author Salman Rushdie in Lahore, Pakistan Thursday June 20 2007. Pakistan and Iran have summoned ambassadors to protest against Rushdie's knighthood award. (AP Photo/K.M.Chaudary) (K.m.chaudary - AP)

The author, who was raised Muslim, denied the accusation, but lived in hiding for almost a decade.

Some analysts have expressed surprise that Rushdie's knighthood was approved.

"There is an impression they really didn't consider the potential reaction," said Rosemary Hollis, director of research at London's Chatham House think tank. "The Foreign Office has some input and surely pointed out that this would be received badly in some quarters."

She speculated the committee had "a sense that showing too much sensitivity is to kowtow to radicals, and that there is a national interest to stand up to Islamic critics of the U.K."

Committee member Andreas Whittam Smith, former editor of Britain's Independent newspaper, said the panel based it decisions only on whether Rushdie's work merited an honor. Rushdie's 13 books have won numerous awards, including the Booker Prize for "Midnight's Children" in 1981.

Home Secretary John Reid defended the award, saying it demonstrated British freedoms. Britain offers people "honors for their contribution to literature even when they don't agree with our point of view," he said.

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Associated Press writer Lindsay Toler contributed to this report.