Knighthood of Salman Rushdie urge and plead with all Muslims around the world to remain calm." He also stated his belief that Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" was also an insult to Christianity and had put "Her Majesty the Queen in a very difficult position". "Actually I was appalled to hear that Salman Rushdie had been given a knighthood, particularly when this man has been very divisive. This man – as you can see – not only provoked violence around the world because of his writings, but there were many people that were killed around the world and honouring the man who has blood on
Embassy of the United Kingdom, Tehran 1988, the UK's Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe agreed with Iranian Foreign Minister Velayati to resume diplomatic contact. Staff returned in January 1989. On 14 February 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie and his publishers. European Community Foreign Ministers agreed to withdraw their heads of mission from Tehran in response. The British Government withdrew all UK-based staff. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait made it desirable to re-establish relations once more, in September 1990. The UK and all other EU countries withdrew their heads of mission in April 1997 when a German court issued a verdict that members of the