Mumbai-born author Salman Rushdie was attacked on a stage on Friday, minutes before he was set to give a lecture during an event in New York, United States. According to the latest information being shared by multiple news agencies, a man stormed the stage as the Mumbai-born author was being introduced by the anchor of the event. He then allegedly “punched and stabbed” Rushdie.
Here are the top developments on the attack:
1) Rushdie was at the Chautauqua Institution to take part in a discussion about the United States serving as asylum for writers and artists in exile and “as a home for freedom of creative expression,” according to the institution’s website.
2) Video footage posted on social media showed people rushing to his aid after he was attacked at the event.
3) The attacker was restrained and was later handed over to police. However, his identity has not yet been released.
4) According to a report by AP, the 75-year-old author fell to the floor following the attack. The event crew quickly surrounded Rushdie and held up his legs, presumably to send more blood to his chest.
5) Rushdie was transported by a helicopter to an area hospital and his condition is not immediately known. “We are dealing with an emergency situation. I can share no further details at this time,” a Chautauqua Institution spokesperson told Reuters.
6) Rushdie has a bounty of over $3 million that has also been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie.
7) He faced death threats for his controversial novel “The Satanic Verses” which some Muslims said contained blasphemous passages. The novel was eventually banned in many countries, including Iran, in 1988.
8) Later, Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, pronounced a fatwa, or religious edict, calling upon Muslims to kill the novelist for blasphemy, forcing Rushdie to live under tight security.
9) Rushdie is a recipient of the Booker Prize-1981, which he won for his book “Midnight’s Children.”
10) His other prominent works include ‘The Moor’s Last Sigh’, ‘Shalimar the Clown’, ‘The Enchantress of Florence etc’.
(With agency inputs)
