Status: 08/14/2022 11:11 a.m
After the knife attack on author Rushdie, his health has improved. The motive of the attacker is still unclear. In court, he pleaded not guilty.
Seriously injured in an attack, author Salman Rushdie is off a ventilator and is speaking again, according to his agent Andre Wylie. Rushdie was attacked Friday at an event in Chautauqua, west New York.
A few minutes earlier he had taken the stage to speak about persecuted artists. Wylie said Rushdie, 75, suffered injuries to his liver and nerves in one arm. In addition, he will probably lose an injured eye.
Rushdie has been persecuted by religious fanatics for decades. The then Iranian revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, had called for the author to be killed because of his work “The Satanic Verses” from 1988. He accused Rushdie of insulting Islam, the Prophet and the Koran in his novel. Among other things, the book features a character who resembles the Prophet Mohammed.
The criticism is that Rushdie questioned the divine origin of the Koran. The death sentence was followed by Rushdie’s dramatic escape and years of hiding. He has now lived in New York for more than 20 years.
Attacker pleads not guilty
The attacker is being investigated for attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault. According to the police, the 24-year-old alleged perpetrator is in custody without the possibility of being released on bail. There was no further information on a motive for the crime.
Second-degree murder is a separate offense in the US legal system for the death of a human being. He can be sentenced to years in prison in New York State. In court, the man’s attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf.
Politicians condemn action
Secretary of State Annalena Baerbock condemned the knife attack on Rushdie. She fears “like millions of people around the world” for Rushdie’s life, she wrote on Twitter. Anyone who justifies the “assassination attempt” is spreading “nothing but hate and extremism.” Several media outlets in Iran had previously celebrated the attack on Rushdie. Anyone who believes in “peaceful coexistence” must “clearly and consistently oppose it,” Baerbock continued.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wished Rushdie a speedy recovery. “An international rejection of such criminal acts that violate fundamental rights and freedoms is the only way to a better and more peaceful world,” Borrell wrote on Twitter.
Israeli Prime Minister Jair Lapid described the act as an “attack on our freedoms and values”. The incident was “the result of decades of incitement led by the extremist regime in Tehran,” Lapid wrote on Twitter. On behalf of the people of Israel, he wished the writer a full and speedy recovery.
Honorary member of PEN in Germany
The writers’ association PEN in Germany once again expressed its solidarity with the attacked author. “As a sign of our solidarity with this courageous fighter for the freedom of speech, the Executive Committee of the PEN Center Germany appoints Salman Rushdie as an honorary member,” said Claudia Guderian, Secretary General of PEN Germany.
Rushdie assassination: Attacker before magistrate, Rushdie’s health better
Claudia Sarre, ARD Washington, August 14, 2022 6:09 a.m