Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
WASHINGTON, 16th August. US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan on Saturday posted on Twitter “The attack on Salman Rushdie is appalling. We’re all praying for his speedy recovery. And we’re thankful to good citizens and first responders for helping him so swiftly.”
White House termed the attack on Salman Rushdie as “appalling” and said that the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris Administration is praying for a speedy recovery of the renowned author.
Jake Sullivan said in a statement that “Today, the country and the world witnessed a reprehensible attack against the writer Salman Rushdie. This act of violence is appalling. All of us in the Biden-Harris administration are praying for his speedy recovery.”
“We are thankful to good citizens and first responders for helping Mr. Rushdie so quickly after the attack and to law enforcement for its swift and effective work, which is ongoing,” Sullivan said.
Rushdie is known for his free expression received death threats from Iran leadership Ayatollah Khoemini due to his book ‘The Satanic Verses, which was released in 1988.
Iran had fatwa for 30 some years, Rushdie was attacked on Friday morning as he was about to give a lecture onstage at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York state.
He was “stabbed” multiple times in the neck and once in the abdomen.
India-born British author was off ventilator and is feared to lose one of his eyes and liver damage after he underwent surgery after an attack, according to an update on his condition from his literary agent Andrew Wylie.
“The news is not good,” Wylie said. He added that “Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed, and his liver was stabbed and damaged.”
New York State Police identified a suspect Hadi Matar 24 years old man from Fairview, New Jersey but said the motive behind the attack remains unknown.
“The suspect has been identified as Hadi Matar, 24, from Fairview, New Jersey” police said
State Police Troop Commander Major Eugene J. Staniszewski said in a news conference that author Rushdie,75 and Henry Reese,73 the moderator had arrived at the stage of the Chautauqua institution and shortly thereafter the suspect jumped on the stage and attacked at least once in the neck and at least once in the abdomen,”.
The police said that several members of the institution and the audience quickly responded to the incident and took the suspect to the ground.
New York State Police said in a statement that a male suspect ran up onto the stage prior to a speaking event at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua and attacked Rushdie.
It said the author suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital in Erie Pennsylvania. A suspect has been taken into custody.
The moderator was also attacked during the incident and he suffered a minor head injury, the police said.
The act of violence has evoked widespread condemnation from people across the world. Literary figures, public officials as well as common people took to Twitter to express anger over the shocking incident.
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese also condemned the shocking incident and called it an assault on global freedom of expression.
“Terrible news of the sickening and cowardly attack on Salman Rushdie in New York. This senseless violence against a celebrated author is also an assault on global freedom of expression and deserves unequivocal condemnation. May he have a full recovery,” Albanese tweeted.
Rushdie caught the limelight for his novel ‘Midnight’s Children in 1981, had received a fatwa for his 1988 book. The Satanic Verses book led to a fatwa, a religious decree, by the then Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The threat forced Rushdie into hiding first in Britain with special protection for many years.
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