Suspect in Salman Rushdie attack now in custody
Fox News' Bryan Llenas reports from Chautauqua, New York, where Iranian author Salman Rushdie was stabbed and rushed to the hospital
Novelist Salman Rushdie was stabbed before giving a speech in Chautauqua, New York, on Friday.
An Associated Press reporter witnessed a man storm the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and begin punching or stabbing Rushdie as he was being introduced. The author was taken or fell to the floor, and the man was restrained.
In a press release, the New York State Police confirmed that a man rushed the stage and stabbed Rushdie, who turned 75 in June, in the neck.
"Rushdie suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck, and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital," the press release said. "His condition is not yet known. The interviewer suffered a minor head injury. A State Trooper assigned to the event immediately took the suspect into custody. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene."
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Author Salman Rushdie, behind screen left, is tended to after he was attacked during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP/Joshua Goodman)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a press conference that the state trooper involved "stood up and saved" Rushdie's life.
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Rushdie’s book "The Satanic Verses" has been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous. A year later, Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death.
Iran has also offered over $3 million in reward for anyone who kills Rushdie.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT: Blood stains mark a screen as author Salman Rushdie, who is behind it, is tended to after he was attacked during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP/Joshua Goodman)
Iran’s government has long since distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment lingered. In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation raised the bounty for Rushdie from $2.8 million to $3.3 million.
Rushdie dismissed that threat at the time, saying there was "no evidence" of people being interested in the reward.
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Author Salman Rushdie is tended to after he was attacked during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Joshua Goodman)
That year, Rushdie published a memoir, "Joseph Anton," about the fatwa.
The Chautauqua Institution is a performing arts center and community from June through September that hosts major artists and celebrities like Rushdie related to the fields of visual arts, dance, theater and music.
It is an exclusive institution near Buffalo that carries entry fees ranging from $200-$2,600.
Associated Press contributed to this report
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