USA: Salman Rushdie apparently on the mend

United States
Salman Rushdie apparently on the mend

After the knife attack on Salman Rushdie, the health of the British-Indian author remains uncertain. The man who attacked the writer on stage in New York State is being investigated for attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault, police said.

The 24-year-old alleged perpetrator is therefore in custody. There was no further information on a motive for the crime. Second-degree murder is a separate offense in the US legal system for the death of a human being. He can be sentenced to years in prison in New York State.

Off the ventilator

Rushdie continued to be treated at a hospital in Erie, in the neighboring state of Pennsylvania, according to US media. According to reports, the author is said to be on the mend and no longer on artificial respiration. He was able to speak again on Saturday, the New York Times reported, citing his literary agent Andrew Wylie. Fellow writer Aatish Taseer wrote on Twitter that Rushdie was joking. The tweet was apparently later deleted. Meanwhile, celebrities and politicians from around the world condemned Rushdie’s stabbing attack and wished him a speedy recovery.

Rushdie was attacked Friday at an event in Chautauqua, west New York. A few minutes earlier he had taken the stage to speak about persecuted artists.

The 75-year-old was operated on in the hospital and put on a ventilator, his agent Wylie told the New York Times on Friday evening. He cannot speak and will likely lose an eye. Nerves in his arm were also severed and his liver damaged.

Rushdie has been persecuted by religious fanatics for decades. The then Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini called for the author to be killed because of his work “The Satanic Verses” from 1988. He accused Rushdie of insulting Islam, the Prophet and the Koran in his novel.

Among other things, the book features a character who resembles the Prophet Mohammed. The criticism is that Rushdie questioned the divine origin of the Koran. The death sentence was followed by Rushdie’s dramatic escape and years of hiding. He has now lived in New York for more than 20 years.

Reactions worldwide

Numerous politicians condemned the violence against Rushdie and stressed the importance of fundamental rights and freedom of expression. US President Joe Biden praised Rushdie for not being intimidated and for “essential, universal values” such as truth, courage and resilience. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter: “An international rejection of such criminal acts that violate fundamental rights and freedoms is the only way to a better and more peaceful world.”

Israeli Prime Minister Jair Lapid also blamed Iran’s leadership for the attack. The incident was “the result of decades of incitement led by the extremist regime in Tehran,” Lapid wrote on Twitter.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) said: “Anyone who justifies this assassination attempt is spreading nothing but hatred and extremism. Anyone who believes in peaceful coexistence must oppose this clearly and consistently.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wrote on Twitter: “What a heinous act!”. He wished the author a lot of strength for the recovery.

The German PEN center in Darmstadt also sharply condemned the attack on the writer. “We are deeply shocked by the attack,” said Secretary General Claudia Guderian on Saturday. The writer has been living “for the freedom of the word” for 30 years under the threat of death. “So far there has never been such an attempt on his life.”

British Harry Potter author Joanne K. Rowling has been threatened online after the attack on Rushdie. Rowling expressed her horror at the violence on Twitter on Friday and wrote about Rushdie: “I hope he’s okay.” Another user responded, “Don’t worry, you’re next.” (original: “Don’t worry you are next”).

dpa