DATE=09/28/98
      TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
    NUMBER=6-10932
     TITLE=IRAN ENDS SALMAN RUSHDIE'S DEATH THREAT         
    BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
 TELEPHONE=619-3335
  DATELINE=WASHINGTON
    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS

CONTENT=

INTRO:  THERE IS A GOOD DEAL OF EDITORIAL REACTION TO LAST WEEK'S
ANNOUNCEMENT BY IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER KAMAL KHARRTAZI THAT HIS 
GOVERNMENT IS DISASSOCIATING ITSELF FROM THE "FATWA" -- THE 
ISLAMIC DEATH THREAT AGAINST AUTHOR SALMAN RUSHDIE. 

THE U-S PRESS IS RESPONDING TO THE APPARENT CHANGE OF POLICY WITH
SEVERAL COMMENTS, AND WE HAVE A SAMPLING NOW FROM ______________ 
IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.  

TEXT:  WHAT THIS MAY MEAN IS, THAT AFTER NINE-YEARS, THE 
INDIAN-BORN AUTHOR WHO'S BOOK "THE SATANIC VERSES" WAS CONSIDERED
BLASPHEMOUS TO SOME MUSLIMS, MAY LIVE AN OPEN AND PUBLIC LIFE 
AGAIN.  HE HAD BEEN UNDER 24-HOUR GUARD SINCE 1989 WHEN THE LATE 
AYATOLLAH RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI CONDEMNED HIM TO DEATH BY ANY 
HONORABLE MUSLIM FOR HIS BOOK.  MR. RUSHDIE HAS ALWAYS CONTENDED 
THE BOOK WAS  NOT  INTENDED TO INSULT MUSLIMS OR THE FOUNDER OF 
THEIR RELIGION, MOHAMMED, AND THAT PASSAGES HAD BEEN 
MISINTERPRETED BY SOME ISLAMIC CLERICS.

BUT THERE IS SOME CONFUSION AS TO EXACTLY THAT MR. KHARRTAZI'S 
COMMENTS REALLY MEAN.  FOR EXAMPLE, HIS COMMENTS STOPPED SHORT OF
LIFTING IRAN'S DEATH SENTENCE ON MR. RUSHDIE, BUT IT WAS SUCH A 
CHANCE THAT BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY ROBIN COOK DESCRIBED THE 
DEAL AS HISTORIC, AND THE TWO COUNTRIES BEGAN RESUMING FULL 
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT. 

BUT THE BRITISH DID NOT REMOVE PROTECTION FOR MR. RUSHDIE, AND 
THE BOSTON GLOBE REPORTS IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE AUTHOR WOULD 
BE EMERGING FROM HIDING.  A TWO-AND-ONE HALF MILLION DOLLAR 
BOUNTY PLACED ON [MR.] RUSHDIE BY A QUASI-OFFICIAL IRANIAN 
FOUNDATION, CONTROLLED BY THE COUNTRY'S MULLAHS, OR ISLAMIC 
PRIESTS, REMAINS IN FORCE.  AND ONE BRITISH OFFICIAL SAID -- 
THERE IS STILL THE THREAT THAT SOME RELIGIOUS FANATIC WILL DECIDE
... THE FATWA STILL STANDS.

THE THREAT WAS NEVER TAKEN LIGHTLY AND DURING ITS COURSE, SEVERAL
PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOOK INCLUDING SOME OF ITS 
TRANSLATORS, HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED IN DIFFERENT ATTACKS, 
ALTHOUGH NONE WERE DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT.

WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING WITH THESE THOUGHTS FROM "THE DALLAS 
MORNING NEWS."

VOICE:   DEATH ROW FOR WRITER SALMAN RUSHDIE HAS BEEN ANYWHERE HE
         WENT.  FOR 10-YEARS, THE BRITISH WRITER HAS LIVED WITH A
         MILLION-DOLLAR BOUNTY ON HIS HEAD.  HIS 1988 NOVEL, 
         SATANIC VERSES, SO INCENSED IRAN'S AYATOLLAH ... 
         KHOMEINI THAT THE CLERIC ISSUED AN EDICT EXHORTING 
         MUSLIMS TO KILL HIM.  ... NOW THE BRITISH WRITER MAY BE 
         ABLE TO LIVE AS A FREE MAN AGAIN.  IRANIAN FOREIGN 
         MINISTER KAMAL KHARRAZI SAID HIS GOVERNMENT NO LONGER 
         SUPPORTS A BOUNTY ON MR. RUSHDIE'S LIFE.  .... THIS 
         RESOLUTION HAS TWO LESSONS.  ONE IS THAT IRAN COULD BE 
         MODERATING.  THE OTHER MESSAGE IS THAT HUMAN RIGHTS 
         MATTER -- TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST TO POLITICAL PRISONERS 
         IN FOREIGN JAILS.  MR. RUSHDIE BECAME A LIVING PARABLE 
         ABOUT FREE EXPRESSION -- AND HOW QUICKLY THAT FREEDOM 
         CAN VANISH.

TEXT:  IN THE MIDWEST, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" IS ALSO PLEASED, 
NOTING:

VOICE:   AFTER 10-YEARS HIDING IN THE SHADOWS AND FACING A DEATH 
         SENTENCE FOR WRITINGS DEEMED AN INSULT TO ISLAM, 
         INDIAN-BORN AUTHOR SALMAN RUSHDIE MAY FINALLY BREATHE A 
         LITTLE EASIER.  AMERICANS ALSO SHOULD WELCOME THE 
         DECLARATION IN NEW YORK LAST WEEK BY IRAN'S MODERATE 
         PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD KHATAMI THAT THE RUSHDIE MATTER IS 
         'COMPLETELY FINISHED.'  FOR SURE, THE MESSAGE IRAN IS 
         SENDING IS ANOTHER POSITIVE STEP ON ITS ROAD TO 
         LIBERALIZATION, SPURNING A MEDIEVAL SENTENCE THAT WAS 
         ANATHEMA TO WESTERNERS (AND TO MANY MUSLIMS) AND A 
         SYMBOL OF DEEPLY FUNDAMENTALIST POLICIES THAT HAVE 
         DOMINATED AND DISCREDITED IRAN FOR ALMOST TWENTY YEARS. 
         ... DESPITE [MR.] KHATAMI'S AND [MR.] KHARRAZI'S 
         STATEMENTS, THE RUSHDIE DEATH SENTENCE HAS YET TO BE 
         LIFTED, AND IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER IRAN'S CURRENT
         SPIRITUAL LEADER ... WILL REPUDIATE IT. 

TEXT:  IN BALTIMORE, "THE SUN" IS CAUTIOUSLY SKEPTICAL, ALTHOUGH 
IT IS PLEASED AT THE CHANCE, AS FAR AS IT GOES. 

VOICE:   PERHAPS MR. RUSHDIE CAN GO ABOUT NORMALLY AGAIN.  BUT 
         IRAN'S LEADERSHIP IS SPLIT.  SPIRITUAL LEADER AYATOLLAH 
         ALI KHAMENEI, COMMANDER OF THE ARMED FORCES, HAD NOT 
         RESCINDED THE DECREE.  AND A RELIGIOUS FOUNDATION'S 
         OFFER OF TWO-AND-ONE-HALF-MILLION-DOLLARS TO ANYONE 
         CRYING IT OUT STILL STANDS.  ... THE NEW MODERATION 
         SHOWING IN TEHRAN SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED.  BUT EVEN MR. 
         KHATAMI IS GRADUALISTIC ABOUT IT ... IRAN'S RULERS, 
         EXTREMIST AND MODERATE, HAVE AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE FOR 
         IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH THE WEST, BEYOND SEEKING 
         CAPITAL FOR OIL DEVELOPMENT.  THEY APPEAR TO BE 
         PREPARING FOR WAR WITH ISLAMIC RIVALS IN NEIGHBORING 
         AFGHANISTAN.  EVEN FANATICS VALUE PRAGMATISM WHEN 
         DECIDING HOW MANY ENEMIES TO ENGAGE AT ONE TIME.  

TEXT:  MORE SKEPTICISM COMES FROM KENNETH TIMMERMAN, WHO 
PUBLISHES A NEWSLETTER IN THE UNITED STATES CALLED 'IRAN BRIEF.' 
IN TALKING WITH V-O-A REPORTER NICK SIMEONE IN WASHINGTON, MR. 
TIMMERMAN COMMENTED:

VOICE:   IF YOU TALK TO SHIITE ISLAMIC CLERICS WHO ARE 
         KNOWLEDGEABLE, SUCH AS AYATOLLAH ROUHANI IN PARIS AND 
         HIS BROTHER IN QOM [THE IRANIAN HOLY ISLAMIC CITY], THEY
         WILL TELL YOU THAT THE FATWA DIED WITH THE DEATH OF 
         AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT FATWAS DO
         NOT LIVE AFTER THE DEATHS OF [THE] PEOPLE WHO HAVE 
         ISSUED THEM.  BUT IF YOU TALK TO IRANIAN GOVERNMENT 
         OFFICIALS, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY CAN NOT RESCIND 
         THE FATWA BECAUSE OF AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI'S DEATH AND 
         THEREFORE IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SAYS, 
         THE FATWA EXISTS.

TEXT:  IN CONCLUSION, "THE WASHINGTON POST" QUOTES THE COMMENTS 
OF IRAN'S PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATEMI, AND THE COUNTRY'S FOREIGN 
MINISTER, KAMAL KHARRAZI, WHO MADE WHAT THE PAPER FEELS WAS AN 
EVEN STRONGER STATEMENT FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS, BEFORE
IT NOTES:

VOICE:   SUCH WORDS SEND A WELCOME SIGNAL, AND THE MOVE TO 
         'DIALOGUE' OUGHT INDEED TO INCLUDE THE ABANDONING OF 
         INCITEMENT TO MURDER.  BOTH THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE 
         AND MR. RUSHDIE HIMSELF REACTED FAVORABLY TO MR. 
         KHARRZAI'S COMMENTS.  BRITAIN UPGRADED DIPLOMATIC 
         RELATIONS WITH IRAN, AND MR. RUSHDIE APPEARED ON T-V TO 
         EXPRESS HIS RELIEF.  BUT OF COURSE ONLY MR. RUSHDIE'S 
         CONTINUED SAFETY CAN SHOW THIS IS MORE THAN A MERE 
         SIGNAL. 

TEXT:  ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS BRIEF SAMPLING OF COMMENTS 
ON THE CHANGING IRANIAN POSITION ABOUT THE DEATH THREAT AGAINST 
AUTHOR SALMAN RUSHDIE.

NEB/ANG/RAE

28-Sep-98 3:13 PM EDT (1913 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.