Editor's Pick: Salman Rushdie stabbed on stage in NY event

Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was stabbed in the neck on Friday by a man who rushed to the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York. Mr. Rushdie was taken by helicopter to a hospital, the police said. Governor Kathy Hochul said he was alive and “getting the care he needs”. His agent, Andrew Wylie, told The New York Times that Mr. Rushdie after surgery is on a ventilator and cannot speak. His arm and liver are damaged, and he may lose an eye. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a man confront Mr. Rushdie on stage at the Chautauqua Institution and begin punching or stabbing him 10 to 15 times as he was being introduced. The 75-year-old author was pushed or fell to the floor, and the man was arrested. A bloodied Mr. Rushdie was quickly surrounded by a small group of people who held up his legs, presumably to send more blood to his chest. Mr. Rushdie has been a prominent spokesman for free expression and liberal causes. He is a former president of PEN America, which said it was “reeling from shock and horror” at the attack. “We can think of no comparable incident of a public violent attack on a literary writer on American soil,” CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement. “Salman Rushdie has been targeted for his words for decades but has never flinched nor faltered,” she added. His 1988 book The Satanic Verses was viewed as blasphemous by many Muslims. Often violent protests against Mr. Rushdie erupted around the world, including a riot that killed 12 people in Mumbai. The novel was banned in Iran, where the late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a 1989 fatwa, or edict, calling for Mr. Rushdie’s death. A bounty of over $3 million has also been offered for anyone who kills Mr. Rushdie. The death threats and bounty led Mr. Rushdie to go into hiding under a British government protection programme, including a round-the-clock armed guard. Mr. Rushdie emerged after nine years of seclusion and cautiously resumed more public appearances, maintaining his outspoken criticism of religious extremism overall. Iran’s government has long since distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment has lingered. The Index on Censorship, an organisation promoting free expression, said money was raised to boost the reward for his killing as recently as 2016, underscoring that the fatwa for his death still stands. His 1981 novel, Midnight’s Children, won the Booker Prize and the ‘Booker of Bookers’ in 1993, the best novel to have won the Booker Prize in its first 25 years. The attack on a writer who speaks truth to power and has always stood up against religious fundamentalism makes this story important. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor‘s Pick and more. Click here The Hindu’s Editorials No holds barred: On the Chinese hurdle to designate terrorists Never-ending fight: On free speech vs religious and caste groups The Hindu’s Daily Quiz When is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebrated each year? August 9 August 12 August 17 August 21 To find out the answer and play the full quiz, click here [logo] Editor's Pick 13 AUGUST 2022 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( Salman Rushdie stabbed on stage in NY event Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was stabbed in the neck on Friday by a man who rushed to the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York. Mr. Rushdie was taken by helicopter to a hospital, the police said. Governor Kathy Hochul said he was alive and “getting the care he needs”. His agent, Andrew Wylie, told The New York Times that Mr. [Rushdie after surgery is on a ventilator and cannot speak](. His arm and liver are damaged, and he may lose an eye. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a man confront Mr. Rushdie on stage at the Chautauqua Institution and begin punching or stabbing him 10 to 15 times as he was being introduced. The 75-year-old author was pushed or fell to the floor, and the man was arrested. A bloodied Mr. Rushdie was quickly surrounded by a small group of people who held up his legs, presumably to send more blood to his chest. Mr. Rushdie has been a prominent spokesman for free expression and liberal causes. He is a former president of PEN America, which said it was “reeling from shock and horror” at the attack. “We can think of no comparable incident of a public violent attack on a literary writer on American soil,” CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement. “Salman Rushdie has been targeted for his words for decades but has never flinched nor faltered,” she added.  His 1988 book The Satanic Verses was viewed as blasphemous by many Muslims. Often violent protests against Mr. Rushdie erupted around the world, including a riot that killed 12 people in Mumbai. The novel was banned in Iran, where the late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a 1989 fatwa, or edict, calling for Mr. Rushdie’s death. A bounty of over $3 million has also been offered for anyone who kills Mr. Rushdie. The death threats and bounty led Mr. Rushdie to go into hiding under a British government protection programme, including a round-the-clock armed guard. Mr. Rushdie emerged after nine years of seclusion and cautiously resumed more public appearances, maintaining his outspoken criticism of religious extremism overall. Iran’s government has long since distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment has lingered. The Index on Censorship, an organisation promoting free expression, said money was raised to boost the reward for his killing as recently as 2016, underscoring that the fatwa for his death still stands. His 1981 novel, Midnight’s Children, won the Booker Prize and the ‘Booker of Bookers’ in 1993, the best novel to have won the Booker Prize in its first 25 years. The attack on a writer who speaks truth to power and has always stood up against religious fundamentalism makes this story important.  Was this newsletter forwarded to you? 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