An Iranian extremist Islamic group calling itself the General Staff for the Glorification of Martyrs of the Islamic World has offered a 100,000 dollar reward for the killing of British novelist Salman Rushdie.
| I think that one can take the blue ribbon in the Most Self-Important Name category... |
According to the hardline Jomhuri Eslami newspaper Sunday, the tiny and little-known group called on "all volunteer Muslims to sign up on its Internet site... to kill Salman Rushdie."
| "Yes! He must be killed!... [Seeth!]... [Froth!]... [KABOOM!] |
"The reward will be paid to anyone who kills Salman Rushdie or his family," the paper said, quoting a member of the group who also pledged the organisation’s facilities to help with the operation.
| "... and his little dog, too!" |
The new reward marked the anniversary of the fatwa, or religious edict, issued by Iran’s revolutionary founder, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, on February 14, 1989 calling for Rushdie’s execution.
| That's worked well so far, hasn't it? They've killed everybody else in sight, but still somehow haven't gotten around to him... |
Under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, who was elected in 1997, Iran’s leadership has distanced itself from the order, but on Saturday, the 15th of Khordad Foundation -- ostensibly an Iranian charitable trust that had offered a three million dollar bounty -- issued a statement saying the fatwa was still valid.
| Ho-hum. Another Islamic charity to add to the list. No telling what their name's going to be next week... |
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