Fatwa only a minor issue now: Rushdie

Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie has said the death sentence imposed on him by Iran's late leader no longer affects his daily life, but the issue still hasn't gone away.

Rushdie commented yesterday on the fatwa while appearing with author Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, for a discussion on freedom of speech and human rights.

Rushdie was forced into hiding in England for a decade because the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a 1989 religious edict ordering Muslims to kill the author, saying his book, "The Satanic Verses," insulted Islam.

An Australian Parliament member recently issued a call to bar the entry of musician Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, who is on a comeback tour. The politician says the musician should not be issued a visa until he withdraws his support for the edict against Rushdie.

Rushdie said Australia should allow the musician's entry.