Rushdie Won’t Sue Over Film Portrayal

Condemned author Salman Rushdie told British officials today that he would not file a libel suit against a banned Pakistani film in which he is portrayed killing Muslims and is eventually slain by a divine bolt of lightning.

The owner of a Pakistani-owned video company that planned to market “International Guerrillas” said he will take legal action against the British Board of Film Classification for refusing to allow distribution of the film.

News reports Sunday revealed that Britain had banned the 3 1/2-hour film because the government believes it could be criminally libelous since its central villain is named Salman Rushdie.

It also fears the film could inspire public hatred against Rushdie, who has lived in hiding since Feb. 14, 1989, when the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini sentenced him to death for writing the novel “The Satanic Verses.”

The Indian-born Rushdie told Frances D’Souza of the Rushdie Defense Committee he would take no legal action against the film.

“He wanted it to be known that if the film got a classification and was cleared by the British film board, he would not pursue any case against it in any court,” D’Souza said.

“He said that if (the film) infringed other laws, such as the Race Relations Act, then it would be (up to) other people to take legal action,” she said. “He said that he has been libeled so much in the past year and a half that if he started on this now, where would he stop?”

“The Satanic Verses,” which includes a character resembling the prophet Mohammed, is regarded as blasphemous by many Muslims. Its publication was supported in Britain on the ground that banning it would inhibit freedom of expression.

Rushdie earlier said the film should be distributed, in adherence to the same principle.