Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain strongly condemns the decision to 'honour' Salman Rushdie with a knighthood. The insult to Muslims across the globe in this decision was entirely predictable and has not been missed by anyone. The Government's defence of the decision shows yet again that while Western governments hold aloft the banner of "freedom of speech" when it comes to insulting Muslims and Islam, they attempt to silence through fear, intimidation and draconian legislation, Muslims who criticise Western foreign policy or adhere to the Islamic injunctions on dress.

Defending this decision in the name of 'freedom of speech', having in the past proposed the banning of non-violent political organisations to silence opposition to the illegal occupation of Iraq and brutal dictators, proves that the legacy of Blair is nothing more than rank hypocrisy. It is interesting to note that this Government talks a lot about community cohesion, yet delights in the deliberate provocation of the Muslim community. This was previously demonstrated by those (including Rushdie incidentally) who rushed to defend Jack Straw's comments on the veil.

While some of the dictatorships of the Muslim world now rush to defend the honour of the Prophet Muhammad, in order to protect themselves from the wrath of the masses, they continually insult his memory by acquiescing in the murder of thousands of Muslim civilians in Waziristan, Iraq and Afghanistan at the behest of their masters.

It is of note that the UK Home Secretary, John Reid, defended the decision, telling an audience in New York that many Christians had been offended by Monty Python's Life of Brian, while some Jewish people were offended by Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ. This is further evidence of the decay of secular liberal societies who believe that it is perfectly acceptable to insult and defame religious communities whether they are Muslims, Christians or Jews. The Islamic Caliphate historically ensured that Muslims and non-Muslims were protected from such wanton disrespect.

Imam Qarafi (a classical Islamic Scholar) summed up the responsibility of the Caliphate to non-Muslim citizens (Ahl al-Dhimma) when he said: "It is the responsibility of the Muslims to the Ahl al-Dhimma to care for their weak, fulfil the needs of the poor, feed the hungry, provide clothes, address them politely, and even tolerate their harm even if it was from a neighbour, even though the Muslim would have an upper hand. The Muslims must also advise them sincerely on their affairs and protect them against anyone who tries to hurt them or their family, steal their wealth, or violates their rights."