Britain has announced honoring writer Salman Rushdie with a knighthood.

This has touched off another round of rabid Islamic foaming at the mouth in protest – very similar to the Danish cartoon flap. This is unfortunately all too predictable, and reactions of Pakistani government officials have moved into the realm of international diplomacy.

Rushdie’s knighthood ‘justifies suicide attacks’

Not liking an honoring of another nation justifies murder? (Remember, this is the “religion of peace”. Yeah. Right. In a pig’s eye it is!)

After the unregulated vitriol of Pakistani officials, the government took official cognizance that they had a problem.

Pakistani Government Intervenes in Rushdie Row

Of course, the justification of suicide bombing in this case elicited a certain response, even from the UK.

‘Deep concern’ over Rushdie terror threat

A diplomatic row over Salman Rushdie’s knighthood erupted yesterday as Britain expressed “deep concern” over claims by a Pakistani minister that the honour was an affront to Muslims that could justify suicide bombings.

The UK’s high commissioner, Robert Brinkley, conveyed the message after being summoned to meet Pakistan government representatives in Islamabad, according to a Foreign Office spokesman. The Government is now embroiled in a mounting political row over the Queen’s Birthday Honours award to Sir Salman, whose 1989 book, The Satanic Verses, was condemned by Muslims as blasphemous and led to international protests.

A spokesman said the high commissioner made clear London’s deep concern at the reported remarks of the minister for religious affairs. “The British Government is very clear that nothing can justify suicide bomb attacks,” he said.

What’s really amazing about that is that it is necessary to state for the record that “nothing can justify suicide bomb attacks”. To anyone civilized, that would go without saying…but then again, this IS dealing with Islam, so the civilized part breaks down here.