Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie was attacked on Friday as he prepared to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution. According to a statement from the New York State Police, at about 11 a.m., a man rushed the stage and attacked Rushdie and an interviewer.
“Rushdie suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck, and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital,” the statement read. “His condition is not yet known.” The interviewer suffered a minor head injury, and a state trooper assigned to the event took the suspect into custody.
Responding to a request for comment, a media contact for Chautauqua, a renowned summer arts and culture resort in Western New York, said, “Chautauqua Institution is currently coordinating with law enforcement and emergency officials on a public response following today’s attack of Salman Rushdie on the Chautauqua Amphitheater stage. We will provide more details as we know them.” A representative for the Chautauqua Institution Police Department said they did not have any information to provide.
The Satanic Verses, a novel, was banned in Iran after its 1988, considered blasphemous, and in 1989, Iran’s then-leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering the execution of the British-Indian author. Multiple assassination attempts on Rushdie followed. A bounty of $3 million was also offered for Rushdie’s killing. The Iran government has since distanced itself from the decree, but in 2012 an Iranian religious foundation upped the bounty to $3.3 million.
Rolling Stone has reached out to Rushdie’s talent agency and publisher for updates on his condition.
Tatiana Siegel contributed reporting
This story is developing