Author Salman Rushdie was stabbed in the neck at an event in New York, US, on Friday. Details were scarce about his condition and the attacker, who has been detained. The 75-year-old author’s writings have in the past led to threats.
The New York State Police confirmed the stabbing and said he was taken to an area hospital by helicopter. Governor Kathy Hochul said he’s alive and “getting the care he needs”. The attacker is in custody and his identity will be released later, she said.
Social media posts showed people rushing to Mr Rushdie’s aid after a man with “black clothes and a black mask” jumped onto the stage and attacked him at Chautauqua Institution, about 100 km from the city. The moderator of the talk suffered minor head injuries in the attack. Mr Rushdie fell to the floor immediately after the attack, and the attacker was restrained by the people there.
Moderator Henry Reese and Mr Rushdie were to discuss “the US as asylum for writers and other artists in exile and as a home for freedom of creative expression”. The attack happened around 11 am local time (8.30 pm IST) as Mr Rushdie was being introduced. There were around 2,500 people in the audience, who were evacuated later.
A British citizen of Indian origin — living in the US for the past 20 years — Mr Rushdie, 75, has faced threats for decades over his 1988 book, The Satanic Verses, which is allegedly blasphemous towards Islam. A reward was put on his head by the Iranian top leader, though by 1998 the Iranian government said it won’t enforce that ‘fatwa’ or edict. It wasn’t clear if the attack is linked to that. AP said it hasn’t received a reply for comment from Iran’s mission to the UN.
Has any Islamic country condemned this act? The message is very clear. Islam allows killing the person who condemns Islam. Religion of piece!!
“secular” Hindu gutter rat,
Why should anyone condemn attack on Rushdie when he was happily supported illegal invasion and destruction of Iraq which lead to the deaths of millions of innocent men, women and children? Filthy sh1t eating Hindu maggots like you should not pretend to be for human rights when you support killing in the name Hinduism. You support Hindu extremists, rapists and terrorists because Hinduism is evil and the message is proven everyday as Hindus commit evil crimes.
Islam is about peace and maintaining the peace by punishing criminals. Hinduism is a cancer, we’re the chemotherapy. Hinduism, the “religion” of sh1t!