Salman Rushdie was stabbed at a US event today, and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted that he was “utterly appalled and outraged” by the incident. He also wished the Indian-origin author a speedy recovery from his injuries. The Congress leader described it as a sad day and said it is “worse if creative expression can no longer be free and open” after reading Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children.
According to the medical professionals caring for Mr. Rushdie, 75, who is on a ventilator, he might lose one eye. Police have identified his assailant.
More than 33 years have passed since Mr. Rushdie was the target of an Iranian fatwa for penning “The Satanic Verses.” Some clergy saw the 1988 publication of the book as insulting to the Prophet Mohammed.
READ MORE: Salman Rushdie Attack News: Writer attacked on stage in New York
“Salman (Rushdie) would presume that 33 years after the initial fatwa, there wouldn’t be any particular complications to which individuals would have had to adapt. He was walking about regularly, wearing his security, etc. It must have been a horrible shock to everyone who cherishes the right to free speech and the safety and sanctity of life. This is sad news, and I’m shocked that there are still individuals who think that lives are the response to words. Other words answer words. This is awful, “In the hours after yesterday’s assault, Mr. Tharoor spoke with the media over the phone.
Salman Rushdie, an Indian-born British citizen who has lived in the US for the last 20 years, had mostly returned to his previous way of life until the assault on Friday.
