British-American author Salman Rushdie made his first public appearance last night since a knife attack nearly killed him nine months ago. Rushdie was in New York at a gala event organized by the writers’ organization PEN America.
LOOK. Salman Rushdie is back on the red carpet months after the stabbing that nearly killed him
Rushdie received an honorary award from the organization, which stands up for freedom of expression. His arrival was not announced. Rushdie had himself photographed on the red carpet before the start of the gala at the American Museum of Natural History, near Central Park in Manhattan.
In a speech to about 700 attendees, the writer emphasized that protecting free speech is more important today than ever. “Terrorism must not terrorize us. Violence should not deter us. The battle continues,” he said.
Multiple knife stabs
Rushdie is the author of the novel ‘The Devil’s Verses’, maligned by radical Muslims. On August 12, 2022, he was stabbed as he was about to give a talk at an event at the Chautauqua Institution, upstate New York. He received several stab wounds, was flown to hospital by helicopter and had to be ventilated for several days.
In October, his literary agent revealed that the writer has since been blind in one eye and can no longer use a hand.
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