Salman Rushdie
Author May Lose Eye After Knife Attack
Salman Rushdie was attacked with a knife on stage.
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Author Salman Rushdie has been attacked with a knife. His agent has now given an update on his health.
The Indian-British writer Salman Rushdie (75) was attacked with a knife on Friday morning during a literary event in the United States. Rushdie was then flown to a hospital in a helicopter. His agent Andrew Wylie gave an update on his health that evening. In the statement which is available to the “New York Times”, among othersit said Rushdie was on a ventilator and unable to speak.
“The news is not good,” Wylie said. “Salman is likely to lose an eye, nerves in his arm have been severed and his liver has been punctured and damaged.”
Police have identified suspects
The police have now identified a suspect. A 24-year-old from New Jersey ran onto the stage at the event in Chautauqua, New York and attacked Salman Rushdie, according to the New York State Police. The author suffered stab wounds to the neck and chest. Another speaker at the event, Ralph Henry Reese (73), suffered a minor head injury. State Police arrested the suspect after assistance from event staff and guests. The investigation is ongoing, but the police have not yet commented on a possible motive.
However, the attack could be related to a work by the author. Rushdie was under police protection long after Iran called for his assassination because of his book The Satanic Verses. Even today, an organization in Iran is offering a reward of three million dollars for his death.