THE FANS in East Lancashire of writer Salman Rushdie and his abstruse novel "The Satanic Verses" could probably be comfortably contained in a couple of taxis -- thanks to his evidently arrogant demeanour and the fortune that it has cost taxpayers to protect him from those who might carry out the death sentence that his stupidly-provacative book earned from Islam.

So, now that the Iranian government has distanced itself from the fatwa imposed nine years ago by its former leader, the late Ayatollah Khomeini, there will not be too much concern hereabouts over whether or not Mr Rushdie is actually any safer -- except, it seems, among the Muslim community.

For we are told that their outrage over his book, which the Ayatollah ruled had blasphemed Islam, is as strong as ever, as is the view that the death sentence should remain. We gather this from Blackburn councillor Hussain Akhtar who, though he does not say whether he shares this opinion, seems quite happy to articulate it along with his view that Rushdie is actually in more danger than ever.

Perhaps, though, Councillor Akhtar might tell us whether he thinks the paradox of someone using his status and liberty as a public representative in a democracy to promulgate, even on behalf of others, support for an exhortation to murder amounts to an abuse of his position.

And if Rusdie's provocative words amounted to an abuse of the freedom of expression, does not this councillor's relaying of the view that he still deserves to be killed come to the very same thing?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.