How Salman Rushdie's stabbing unfolded: Blood erupted in spurts as author was knifed upto 15 times on NY stage
CHAUTAUQUA, NEW YORK: Controversial author Salman Rushdie, who has been facing Islamist death threats for more than 30 years over his book ‘The Satanic Verses’, was stabbed up to 15 times including the neck by a man on Friday, August 12. The 75-year-old was present at a literary fair in Chautauqua, New York where he was supposed to deliver a lecture.
According to the Daily Mail, Salman Rushdie was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery. He is reportedly put on a ventilator. His agent Andrew Wylie revealed “The news is not good” adding “Salman will likely lose one eye, the nerves in his arm were severed, and his liver was stabbed and damaged.” The attacker, who reportedly has been identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar, came out of the audience and knifed the author several times.
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How Salman Rushdie's stabbing unfolded in front of hundreds of people
According to the Daily Mail, the alleged attacker clad in a black outfit with a black mask, stormed onto the stage at the Chautauqua Institution while Salman Rushdie was being introduced before delivering a speech on artistic free expression. Hundreds of people were left stunned as they witnessed the author getting stabbed on the stage. Blood spatter was seen as the audience gasped at the horrific incident.
BREAKING: Author Salman Rushdie, the subject of an ongoing fatwa from Iran over his book Satanic Verses, sparking many death threats over the years, has been stabbed on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in New York State. pic.twitter.com/wLEWkA3xC1
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 12, 2022
The Booker Prize-winning author was then soon surrounded by the staff and some of the audience members. Some of them held up the author’s legs with the intention to send more blood to his chest. According to reports, security guards and the audience got hold of the attacker as they pinned him down on the stage. The audience was asked to quietly evacuate the premises after the incident took place at 11 am local time.
After the unfortunate incident, Chautauqua Institution released an official statement on its website saying, “We ask for your prayers for Salman Rushdie and Henry Reese, and patience as we fully focus on coordinating and cooperating with police officials following a tragic incident at the Amphitheater today. All institution programs are canceled for the remainder of the day.”
Salman Rushdie first made headlines for his controversial 1988 novel ‘The Satanic Verses’ as a fatwa was issued in 1989 by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini for Rushdie’s death. The author was born in Mumbai, India. He lived in hiding under the protection of the British government from 1989 until 2002.