Iran has been condemned by a senior UK politician for its "sickening" claim that Sir Salman Rushie has no one to blame but himself for getting stabbed.
David Lammy, the UK's shadow foreign secretary, urged the government to urgently put "diplomatic pressure" on the Iranian government to apologise for the remarks.
"It is truly sickening that the Iranian government has the audacity to blame Salman Rushdie and his supporters for the brutal attack on his life," Mr Lammy said.
Earlier, Iran sought to distance itself from the attack.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said that Sir Salman, attacked in New York state on Friday night as he prepared to deliver a lecture on freedom of expression,.
“Salman Rushdie and his supporters are to blame for what happened to him,” he said. “Freedom of speech does not justify Salman Rushdie’s insults upon religion and offence of its sanctities.”
A fatwa, or religious edict, calling on Muslims to kill the author was issued by Ayatollah Khomeini, the then Iranian leader, in 1989 - a year after Satanic Versus was published. It was never revoked
