The Kuwaiti National Assembly (NA) expressed disappointment and discontent on Tuesday at Britain 's award of knighthood to Salman Rushdie, the author of the controversial book Satanic Verses.

The Kuwaiti National Assembly strongly objects the decision to honor Salman Rushdie by bestowing on him the title of Knight of the British Crown, the NA said in a statement, describing the step as hurting Muslim feelings.

The book, which was published in 1988, had angered Muslims throughout the world for its disrespectful allusions to the holy prophet and the Muslim shari'a (faith), the statement said.

It added that "such measures (knighting) honoring those who combat the Islamic faith and challenge its principles do not create a positive climate or contribute to the success of any dialogue between civilizations, or help to create a common ground of understanding between the West and the Islamic East."

The statement described the knighting as "provocative and unbecoming conduct that is likely to worsen the fundamentalist behavior that marks several cultures."

The NA called for mutual respect among religious faiths and sects as one of the best ways to ensure a peaceful and safe international social climate, which is free of discrimination, tension and worries.

Rushdie, whose book prompted the late Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, to issue a fatwa in 1989 calling for his death for blasphemy, was awarded the knighthood on June 16 for services to literature in British Queen Elizabeth's birthday honors list.

Source: Xinhua