Iran’s current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has never issued a fatwa of his own withdrawing the edict, though Iran in recent years hasn’t focused on the writer. The book was banned in Iran, where the late leader Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a 1989 fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death. In 1993, the book’s Norwegian publisher was shot three times and survived. In 1991, a Japanese translator of the book was stabbed to death and an Italian translator survived a knife attack. Across the Muslim world, often-violent protests erupted against Rushdie, who was born in India to a Muslim family.Īt least 45 people were killed in riots over the book, including 12 people in Rushdie’s hometown of Mumbai. Rushdie’s 1988 novel was viewed as blasphemous by many Muslims, who saw a character as an insult to the Prophet Muhammad, among other objections. “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. He is a former president of PEN America, which said it was “reeling from shock and horror” at the attack. Rushdie has been a prominent spokesman for free expression and liberal causes. Matar’s home was blocked off by authorities. The suspect’s attorney, public defender Nathaniel Barone, said he was still gathering information and declined to comment. Matar, like other visitors, had obtained a pass to enter the institution’s 750-acre grounds, President Michael Hill said.
But it became evident in a few seconds” that it wasn’t, she said. “We thought perhaps it was part of a stunt to show that there’s still a lot of controversy around this author. He said the attack lasted about 20 seconds.Īnother spectator, Kathleen James, said the attacker was dressed in black, with a black mask. At first you’re like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then it became abundantly clear in a few seconds that he was being beaten,” Savenor said. The assailant ran onto the platform “and started pounding on Mr. Amid gasps, spectators were ushered out of the outdoor amphitheater. Rabbi Charles Savenor was among the roughly 2,500 people in the audience. But after the attack, some longtime visitors to the center questioned why there wasn’t tighter security for the event, given the decades of threats against Rushdie and a bounty on his head offering more than $3 million for anyone who kills him. To Improve Kids' Mental Health, Some Schools Start LaterĪ state trooper and a county sheriff’s deputy were assigned to Rushdie’s lecture, and state police said the trooper made the arrest.
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