Salman Rushdie, renowned author of The Satanic Verses, was stabbed multiple times during an event in New York on Friday. He was airlifted after the incident and his assailant was held back by staff at the location. Rushdie, now taken off the ventilator, is recovering from the attack but however is at the risk of losing his eye.
While this attack has resulted in severe injury, it is not the first time the famous author is being subjected to life threats. After the publication of his novel, a fatwa was issued by Iran’s supreme leader of 1989, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This was, according to Khomeini and his supporters, due to the blasphemous depiction of Islam in Rushdie’s novel.
What is Fatwa and What does it entail?
Fatwa, according to Islamic Law, is the “legal opinion on a matter that is raised by a constituent” to Muslim authority. In the West, it is now equated to a “death sentence” in the light of Khomeini’s order to assassinate the author.
Rushdie has been living under the threat of the fatwa for decades. The assault only brings to light, once again, the ordeal faced by the author.
About Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie is a well-known novelist, most popular for his work The Satanic Verses. He is known for the magic realism often employed in his novels and the concept of migration. Rushdie has written many popular novels including Midnight’s Children and The Ground beneath Her Feet. The Golden House was also another exciting novel by Rushdie. He was born and raised in Bombay before moving to England. It is also note-worthy that he won the Booker Prize in 1988.
Rushdie is living under the protection of the British Government after Khomeini’s issue of the fatwa.
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