An Iranian foundation has increased its reward for the killing of British author Salman Rushdie, in response to a US-made film that mocks the prophet Muhammad, sparking protests across the Muslim world.
Rushdie, an Indian-born novelist who has nothing to do with the film, was condemned to death in 1989 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s late leader, over his novel The Satanic Verses, saying its depiction of the prophet Muhammad was blasphemous.
A wealthy Iranian religious organisation offering a large reward to anyone carrying out the “fatwa” has increased the bounty by $500,000 amid the furore over the online film.
The reward offered by the state-linked foundation now stands at $3.3 million.