August 12, (THEWILL) – Renowned author of ‘The Satanic Verses’, Salman Rushdie, was attacked on Friday, in western New York.
Rusdie was attacked when he was about to give a lecture, according to an Associated Press reporter, who witnessed the incident.
The attacker, identified as a man, had stormed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and “began punching, stabbing” Rushdie as he was being introduced.
The 75-year-old author reportedly fell to the floor before his attacker was restrained.
“Rushdie was quickly surrounded by a small group of people who held up his legs, presumably to send more blood to his chest”, the report added, adding that, he has been taken to the hospital by a medical helicopter.
Hundreds of people in the audience gasped at the sight of the attack and were then evacuated.
The Chautauqua Institution, about 55 miles southwest of Buffalo in a rural corner of New York, is known for its summertime lecture series.
Rushdie is the author of Satanic Verses, whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s.
His book, “The Satanic Verses” has been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous. A year later, Iran’s late leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death.
A bounty of over $3 million has also been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie.
Iran’s government has long since distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment has lingered.
In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation raised the bounty for Rushdie from $2.8 million to $3.3 million.
Rushdie dismissed that threat at the time, saying there was “no evidence” of people being interested in the reward.
