Author Salman Rushdie was attacked at a reading in Chautauqua, New York. As first reported by the “AP” news agency, a man rushed towards Rushdie and then punched or stabbed him.
Rushdie went down after the attack. The 75-year-old was immediately transported by helicopter to a nearby baseball field and treated. His state of health was initially unclear.
Rushdie’s work is considered blasphemous by many Muslims. “The Satanic Verses” was banned in Iran in 1988. Iran’s leader at the time, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa directly calling for his killing. A bounty of more than three million US dollars has been placed on the writer’s head for years.
Rushdie has had to go into hiding several times in the past and has received police protection.