(Reuters) – Several ultra-conservative Iranian newspapers on Saturday praised the man who stabbed and seriously injured writer Salman Rushdie in the United States the day before.
Iran has yet to officially respond to the attack on Salman Rushdie, who was shot in the neck and chest on Friday at a conference in New York state.
“A thousand congratulations (…) to the courageous and obedient person who attacked the apostate and the demon Salman Rushdie in New York”, writes the Kayhan newspaper, whose editor is appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“The hand of the man who tore the neck of the enemy of God must be kissed,” he adds.
On February 14, 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini, Supreme Leader of the Iranian Revolution, issued a fatwa (religious decree) calling on Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie after the latter published the “Satanic Verses”, forcing the British author to live in hiding.
The Asr Iran news site published an oft-quoted quote from Ali Khamenei on Saturday that the “arrow” fired by Khomeini “will one day hit the mark”.
The daily Khorasan headlined: “Satan on his way to hell”.
The perpetrator, whose motive is not yet known, was arrested and taken into custody. Police said it was a 24-year-old man from New Jersey, whom they identified as Hadi Matar.
Salman Rushdie was placed on life support after his attack, condemned by writers and politicians around the world.
(Dubai office, French version Jean-Michel Bélot)
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