Iconic writer Salman Rushdie was attacked and seriously injured by a 24-year-old American while lecturing in the United States. The motive of the arrested New Jersey man is still unclear, according to police. However, he is charged with attempted murder and assault, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said Saturday. He was taken into custody.
The attack caused consternation around the world but was celebrated in the Iranian media. According to an American media report, the suspect would have had sympathy with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Rushdie himself had said just two weeks ago in view of the calls for murder by Iranian clerics: “That was a long time ago, you know, my life is now relatively normal again.”
Connected to fan
The incident took place on Friday during a lecture in the western New York city of Chautauqua. Rushdie was taken to hospital, operated on and on a ventilator, his manager Andrew Wylie said.
Star author probably loses an eye
There was initially no new information about his condition on Saturday. Rushdie was stabbed at least once in the neck and abdomen, police said. The 75-year-old was taken by helicopter to a local hospital. He can’t speak and will likely lose an eye, Wylie wrote, according to the New York Times. Nerves in his arm were severed and his liver was damaged. “The news is not good.”
Political professor Carl LeVan, who attended the discussion, said the attacker ran onto the stage and stabbed Rushdie “repeatedly and brutally”, apparently with intent to kill.
There were initially no details about the background of the attack. The alleged attacker is said to have come from Fairfield, New Jersey near New York, and acted alone, police said. It was initially unclear whether the knife attack was related to the decades-old fatwa.
Sentenced to death by fatwa more than 30 years ago
Rushdie was sentenced to death by fatwa more than 30 years ago: Because of his 1988 work “The Satanic Verses,” then-Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini published the religious legal document calling for the author’s death. Khomeini accused Rushdie in his novel of insulting Islam, the Prophet and the Quran.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
