Rushdie was rushed by helicopter to the hospital and taken to the operating room, his agent Andrew Wylie said in a statement. “Salman will likely lose an eye; the nerves in his arm have been severed and his liver has been stabbed and damaged,” added Wylie, saying that Rushdie cannot speak at the moment.
The attack on the public event drew sharp criticism from the literary world, politicians and celebrities alike. Several Bollywood stars on Saturday used their social media to condemn the attack on the novelist.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut shared a news clipping photo of her Instagram stories and said, “Another day another scary act of the jihadists, The Satanic Verses is one of the greatest books of its time. shaken beyond words. Scary. ”
Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar also condemned the “barbaric attack” on Rushdie. “I condemn the barbaric attack on Salman Rushdie by some fanatic. I hope the NYPD and the court will take the strongest possible action against the attacker,” Akhtar tweeted.
His wife, actress Shabana Azmi, also condemned the attack saying, “The vile attack on #Salman Rushdie is despicable and condemnable. I hope he recovers soon and that the fanatic attacker is given the most severe punishment for the heinous crime. “.
Actress Swara Bhasker also shared her thoughts on the same in a tweet that read: “Thoughts and Prayers for #SalmanRushdie Shameful, condemnable and cowardly this attack!”
I condemn the barbaric attack on Salman Rushdie by some fanatic. Hope the NYPD and the courthouse take the … https://t.co/FTx7cHPuDd
– Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) 1660322406000
Thoughts and prayers for #SalmanRushdie Shameful, condemnable and cowardly this attack! #SalmanRushdie Stabbed
– Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) 1660323737000
The vile attack on #Salman Rushdie is despicable and condemnable. I hope he recovers soon and the fanatic attacks … https://t.co/vTBn09j98A
– Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) 1660345888000
Director Onir used his Twitter account to share his concerns about the “threat” to artists. “He strongly condemns the terrorist attack on #SalmanRushdie. The artist and his voice are seriously threatened by religious extremists around the world. Support #SalmanRushdie,” he wrote.
The director went on to add: “#SalmanRushdie is a reminder to all of us … what intolerance towards an artist is. A disease that has recently shown its ugly face at home too often. well.”
#SalmanRushdie is a reminder to us all … about what intolerance towards and the artist is. A disease that has been … https://t.co/S88XR2sGi3
– iamOnir (@IamOnir) 1660326591000
Meanwhile, New York State Police have identified the suspect involved in the attack as Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old from Fairfield, New Jersey. One probable reason has remained unclear.
Police said Rushdie was stabbed in the neck and abdomen. Several people rushed to the stage and brought the suspect to the ground, before a policeman present at the event arrested him.
Carl LeVan, a University of America politics professor attending the event, told AFP he saw the suspect running to the stage where Rushdie was sitting and “stabbed him repeatedly and brutally.”
LeVan, a Chautauqua regular, said the suspect “was trying to stab him as many times as possible before he was submissive,” adding that he believed the man “was trying to kill” Rushdie.
Rushdie, was thrust into the spotlight with his second novel “Midnight Children” in 1981, which won international acclaim and Britain’s prestigious Booker Prize for its portrayal of post-independence India. But his 1988 book “The Satanic Verses” drew attention beyond his imagination when it ignited a fatwa, or religious decree, calling for his death from Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The novel was considered by some Muslims to be disrespectful of the Prophet Muhammad.
Rushdie, who was born in India to non-practicing Muslims and identifies himself as an atheist today, was forced into hiding because a bounty was placed on his head, which still remains today.
