Sir Salman Rushdie mentioned that after years of dwelling in hiding and dying threats his life was now “relatively normal” simply weeks earlier than he was attacked on stage.
The Indian-born British writer, 75, was stabbed or punched 10 to fifteen occasions within the neck and stomach, in keeping with witnesses at an occasion in New York state on Friday.
Sir Salman spoke to the German journal Stern about two weeks in the past and referred to as himself an optimist, saying that when it issues his personal life: “I prefer to look ahead.”
The interview, through which the writer raised issues over threats to democracy within the US, was launched by the journal on Saturday, the day after the assault. It is because of seem within the journal subsequent Thursday.
Sir Salman was pressured into hiding for years and obtained dying threats after the publication in 1988 of his guide The Satanic Verses, which incorporates passages that some Muslims think about blasphemous.
A fatwa, or edict, calling for Sir Salman’s dying was issued by the Iranian chief a 12 months later.
By 2017, nonetheless, the threats in opposition to him had been “pretty much over”, he informed Sky News.
Speaking to Adam Boulton, he mentioned “the world has moved on”.
On Friday, Sir Salman was being launched to the viewers on the Chautauqua Institution earlier than giving a speech when he was attacked on stage.
He was airlifted to hospital the place he underwent hours of surgical procedure and is now on a ventilator and should lose an eye fixed, in keeping with his agent.
Sir Salman has severed nerves in an arm and harm to his liver, Andrew Wylie mentioned.
The fatwa in opposition to the writer was issued by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the chief of Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution.
Sir Salman famous to Stern that the fatwa, which referred to as on Muslims world wide to kill him for blasphemy, was pronounced way back.
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He went into hiding for almost a decade, however in recent times has lived comparatively overtly.
The suspected attacker, named as 24-year-old Hadi Matar from Fairview, New Jersey, was arrested and is now in custody.
Matar had purchased a move for the occasion. Police say they don’t but know a motive for the assault, however consider the suspect was appearing alone.
Source: information.sky.com”