Sir Salman Rushdie attacked on stage in New York
Early reports suggest author was stabbed ahead of a lecture in the west of the city
Last updated 12th Aug 2022
Sir Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, has been attacked as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
An Associated Press reporter witnessed a man storm the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and begin punching or stabbing Sir Salman as he was being introduced.
The author was taken or fell to the floor, and the man was restrained.
A statement from the New York Police said: "On August 12, 2022, at about 11 am, a male suspect ran up onto the stage and attacked Rushdie and an interviewer. Rushdie suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck, and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital.
"His condition is not yet known. The interviewer suffered a minor head injury.
"A State Trooper assigned to the event immediately took the suspect into custody. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene"
Sir Salman's 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 Sir Salman's death.