Author Salman Rushdie, who penned the controversial book The Satanic Verses, was attacked on Friday before he gave a lecture in western New York, according to reports.
Media sources witnessed a man allegedly storm the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and begin punching and trying to stab Salman as he was being introduced. The author reportedly fell to the floor and the man was restrained.
Salman reportedly faced death threats from Iran in the 1980s after his book was published, since many Muslims allegedly felt it was ‘blasphemous’.
A year later, Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (edict), calling for Salman’s death. A bounty of over $3 million has also been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie.
Salman’s book, The Satanic Verses has also been banned in Iran since 1988.
Iran’s government has long since distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, but the anti-Salman sentiment reportedly lingered. In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation raised the bounty for Salman from $2.8 million to $3.3 million. Rushdie dismissed the news about that threat back then, saying there was “no evidence” of people being interested in the reward.
During the same year, Salman also published a memoir titled, ‘Joseph Anton’, about the fatwa.
*Inputs from AP