Salman Rushdie, the writer whose writing led to demise threats from Iran within the 1980s, was stabbed Friday as he was about to provide a lecture in western New York, authorities stated. The 75-year-old writer was stabbed no less than as soon as within the neck and as soon as within the stomach and continues to be in surgical procedure, officers stated throughout a Friday night press convention.
Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, was recognized because the suspect within the stabbing, Main Eugene J. Staniszewski of the New York State Police informed reporters. He had a move to entry the grounds, identical to the others who have been within the viewers, officers stated.
Matar was taken into custody by a state trooper assigned to the occasion, he added.
Authorities consider he acted alone and are working to find out a motive for the assault.
Joshua Goodman / AP
An Related Press reporter witnessed a person storm the stage on the Chautauqua Establishment and start attacking Rushdie as he was being launched. Rushdie was pushed or fell to the ground, and the person was restrained.
Rushdie was shortly surrounded by a small group of people that held up his legs, presumably to ship extra blood to his chest. Officers stated a physician who was within the viewers helped look after Rushdie whereas they waited for EMTs to reach.
Rushdie’s agent confirmed Friday afternoon that he was in surgical procedure. Through the 5 p.m. press convention, Staniszewski stated he was nonetheless in surgical procedure. His situation was not instantly identified.
Staniszewski stated that the suspect additionally attacked one other speaker, who suffered a minor face damage. He was taken to a hospital and has been launched, Staniszewski stated.
Video stated to be of the aftermath of the assault was posted on social media.
Tons of of individuals within the viewers gasped on the sight of the assault and have been then evacuated.
“Our ideas are with Salman & his family members following this horrific occasion,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted after the assault.
Rushdie was on the occasion to debate “america as asylum for writers and different artists in exile and as a house for freedom of artistic expression,” in accordance with the Chautauqua Establishment.
“We’re coping with an emergency scenario. I can share no additional particulars presently,” a Chautauqua Establishment spokesperson informed Reuters.
Video posted to Twitter appeared to point out Rushdie being taken to a medical helicopter.
Rushdie’s e book “The Satanic Verses” has been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims take into account it to be blasphemous. A yr later, Iran’s late chief Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s demise.
Iran’s authorities has lengthy since distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, however anti-Rushdie sentiment lingered. In 2012, a semi-official Iranian non secular basis raised the bounty for Rushdie from $2.eight million to $3.Three million.
Rushdie dismissed that risk on the time, saying there was “no proof” of individuals being within the reward. That yr, Rushdie revealed a memoir, “Joseph Anton,” about his expertise residing below the fatwa.
In 2015, Rushdie addressed the killings of 12 folks on the Paris satirical journal Charlie Hebdo, saying the correct to free speech is absolute or else it is not free.
“Each John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela use the identical three-word phrase which in my thoughts says all of it, which is, ‘Freedom is Indivisible,'” he stated. “You’ll be able to’t slice it up, in any other case it ceases to be freedom. You’ll be able to dislike Charlie Hebdo. … However the truth that you dislike them has nothing to do with their proper to talk.”
