Iran on Monday denied any link with the attacker of British author Salman Rushdie but blamed the writer himself for “insulting” Islam in the novel “The Satanic Verses,” IgbereTV reports.
“We categorically deny” any link with the attack and “no one has the right to accuse the Islamic Republic of Iran”, said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani in Tehran’s first official reaction to Friday’s stabbing.
“In this attack, we do not consider anyone other than Salman Rushdie and his supporters worthy of blame and even condemnation,” he said.
“By insulting the sacred matters of Islam and crossing the red lines of more than 1.5 billion Muslims and all followers of the divine religions, Salman Rushdie has exposed himself to the anger and rage of the people.”
In Washington, US State Department spokesman Ned Price took issue with the statements by Kanani blaming Rushdie for the attack.
“It’s despicable. It’s disgusting and we condemn it,” Price said
