Anglo-Indian writer Salman Rushdie must lose an eye, as well as having compromised nerves in his arm and liver after the attack on Friday (8/12) at an event in New York state, United States. The information was confirmed by his agent, Andrew Wylie, in an updated press release, also stating that the author breathes with the aid of devices and is unable to speak.
“The news is not good. Salman will likely lose an eye, the nerves in his arm have been severed and his liver has been stabbed and damaged,” Wylie said.
The attacker was identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar. He stormed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution, located in the city of the same name, about a seven-hour drive from New York City, and stabbed the 75-year-old writer in the neck and abdomen, according to police. A witness told The Associated Press that he saw the perpetrator receive between 10 and 15 hits.
Endocrinologist Rita Landman, who was in the audience, rushed to the stage to provide first aid and told the New York Times that there was a pool of blood under the author’s body. He was rushed by helicopter to the hospital and, according to his agent, underwent an emergency operation in the afternoon.
The interviewer who accompanied him to the event was also injured.
NYPD said the nationality or motive of the perpetrator was not yet known and that the FBI was involved in the investigation.
There were police officers in the auditorium where Rushdie was attacked, with seating for thousands of people, but no special security system with a metal detector.
One of the greatest writers of his generation and known for his libertarian positions, Rushdie has been persecuted by the Iranian authorities for blasphemy since the publication of “The Satanic Verses” in 1988, a fantasy novel considered offensive to Muhammad and the Islamic faith.
At the time of the book’s publication, Ayatollah Khomeini, then leader of Iran, issued a fatwa (a religious edict) against the writer, condemning him to death. With the fatwa, it would be the obligation of Muslims to kill him by seeing him in public. In addition, a reward of over $ 3 million was offered to anyone who took their own life.
As a result, Rushdie spent nearly ten years under police protection and living in hiding. But, over time, he began to ease his fear of death, also participating in films, series and even clips-such as “The Ground Beneath Her Feet” by the U2 band.
More recently, he was the subject and host of the series “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, which throughout its ninth season, which aired in 2017, satirized the fatwa against the writer.
Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
