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Salman Rushdie’s agent Andrew Wylie recently gave a health update about the author in an interview with Spain’s El Pais. He confirmed that Rushdie lost sight in one of his eyes and is unable to use one hand following the attack that took place two months ago while he was preparing for a lecture in New York.
The exact condition of the injuries remains unknown, but Wylie elaborated on the seriousness of the attack. He stated:
“[His wounds] were profound, but he’s [also] lost the sight of one eye. He had three serious wounds in his neck. One hand is incapacitated because the nerves in his arm were cut. And he has about 15 more wounds in his chest and torso. So, it was a brutal attack.”
He did not reveal if Rushdie was hospitalized, adding that the most important thing, for now, is that he will live.
Wylie even said that he and Salman Rushdie once discussed the possibility of a similar attack and Wylie mentioned that the only danger that he faced all these years after the imposition of a fatwa was from a random person attacking him. Wylie said that protection against such attacks is impossible and illogical and was similar to John Lennon’s murder.
Speaking further, Andrew added that the world is going through a tough phase and nationalism and fundamentalism are increasing from Italy to Europe, Latin America, and the US.
He continued:
“Half the country seems to think that Joe Biden stole the election from Donald Trump. And they admire this man who is not only completely incompetent and a liar and a crook, but just a farce. It’s ridiculous.”
Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times on August 12, 2022
Salman Rushdie was stabbed several times at the Chautauqua Institution on August 12, 2022, while he was preparing to give a speech. The individual continued to attack Rushdie despite being pulled back by a large number of people.
Rushdie suffered severe injuries to his abdomen, the right side of the front part of his neck, right eye, chest, and right thigh. He was transported to UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pennsylvania via helicopter, and his agent revealed the same day that he had undergone surgery and was unable to speak.
Wylie revealed the next day that Salman Rushdie was taken off the ventilator and regained his ability to speak. The New York State Police, along with the FBI and Chautauqua County’s district attorney began investigating the matter and the suspect, Hadi Matar, was arrested in Fairview, New Jersey.
Matar was charged with attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault. However, he denied the accusations.
The reason behind the attack was Salman Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses, published back in 1988. It was after the launch of the novel that Rushdie was threatened and a fatwa was issued against him in 1989 by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini.
Rushdie had to hide for a few years after the fatwa was issued and the 15 Khordad Foundation set a $3 million bounty on him. While speaking to a German current affairs magazine before the incident, Salman Rushdie said that his life is normal now and social media would have brought other dangers to him if it was active during the 80s.
