This August 12, the Indian writer Salman Rushdie was attacked on stage while participating in an event in Chautauqua, New York. Police confirmed that Salman was stabbed in the neck, for which he was airlifted to a hospital by helicopter.
Although the current state of health of the 75-year-old writer is unknown, the governor of the state, Kathy Hochul, declared that he is alive.
According to the agents’ statement, it is understood that the events occurred at eleven o’clock, when a subject went on stage and attacked Salman and another speaker, during a conference in which both were preparing to participate. The aggressor was arrested and transported by the police According to captured images, it is estimated that he is approximately 30 years old.
The writer Carl LeVan, who witnessed the events, through Twitter assured that Salman Ruschdie was stabbed several times before the attacker was intercepted by security elements. However, the local police refused to provide information on the incident.
Just witnessed the horrific assassination attempt on the life of #SalmanRushdie. He was stabbed several times before the attacker was subdued by security elements. Some intrepid audience members took to the stage. What courage will be expected of us next to defend even the smallest freedoms?
It is worth mentioning that, a few years ago, Salman had received death threats in Iran, after the publication of his book satanic verses, in 1998, because its content, according to the religious decree, was an insult to the Koran, Mohammed and the Islamic faith. This work is a fictional novel, but it is combined with philosophical reflection and irony, which is why it aroused the anger of Shiite Muslims.
At that time, the religious superior Khomeini put a price on the head of Salman Rushdie, for a figure that ranged between three million dollars, which forced the writer to live in hiding for a long time.
Although years later the Iranian government distanced itself from Ayatollah Khomeini’s fatwa, in 2012 an Iranian religious foundation raised the reward for the writer from $2.8 million to $3.3 million. Four years later, with the objective of prevailing his decree or fatwa, they added 600 thousand dollars.
For the past few decades, Salman Rushdie has lived with the protection of bodyguards in New York. This August 12, the writer had a conference scheduled at a cultural center. However, it is unknown if his attack is related to the threat that has been chasing his life for more than ten years.