TEHRAN--Hard-line Iranians Monday renewed a death sentence on Salman Rushdie ahead of Wednesday's anniversary of the 1989 decree against the British author issued by supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
"We ask world Muslims to carry out this divine edict and cleanse the world of such mercenary Satans," the Islamic Propagation Organization said in a statement quoted by the official news agency IRNA.
The elite Revolutionary Guards also issued a statement in support of the decree, called a fatwa, issued by Khomeini on Feb. 14, 1989, against the Indian-born writer for alleged blasphemy against Islam in his novel The Satanic Verses. Khomeini died later in 1989.
"The fatwa against the apostate Rushdie is irrevocable. We ask our government to use diplomatic means to prevent the fatwa from being phased out," IRNA quoted the Guards' statement as saying.
The calls came despite a 1998 pledge by the Iranian government not to seek to carry out the decree.
Ignoring the pledge, a hard-line Iranian foundation last year offered to add interest to its $2.8 million bounty on Rushdie.
The Guards, the foundation and the Propagation Organization are among bodies controlled by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, widely seen to be closer to hard-line conservatives opposed to President Mohammad Khatami's liberal reforms.
Reuters