The Indian-born British author, 75, was stabbed or punched 10 to 15 times in the neck and abdomen, witnesses said at an event in New York state on Friday. Sir Salman spoke to German magazine Stern about two weeks ago and called himself an optimist, saying that when it comes to his own life: “I prefer to look ahead.” The interview, in which the author expressed concerns about threats to democracy in the US, was released by the magazine on Saturday, the day after the attack. It is expected to appear in the magazine next Thursday. Sir Salman was forced into hiding for years and received death threats after the 1988 publication of his book The Satanic Verses, which contains passages some Muslims consider blasphemous. A fatwa, or edict, calling for Sir Salman’s death was issued by the Iranian leader a year later. By 2017, however, the threats against him had pretty much ended, he told Sky News. Speaking to Adam Boulton, he said “the world has moved on”. On Friday, Sir Salman was addressing the audience at the Chautauqua Foundation before giving a speech when he was attacked on stage. He was airlifted to hospital where he underwent hours of surgery and is now on a ventilator and may lose an eye, according to his agent. Sir Salman has severed nerves in his hand and has damage to his liver, Andrew Wylie said. The fatwa against the author was issued by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. Sir Salman noted to Stern that the fatwa, which called on Muslims around the world to kill him for blasphemy, had been issued a long time ago. Read more: Why is Salman Rushdie so controversial? The world reacts as a controversial writer is stabbed in New York state It was hidden for almost a decade, but in recent years it has lived relatively openly. The suspected shooter, 24-year-old Hadi Matar of Fairview, New Jersey, was arrested and is now in custody. Matar had purchased a pass to the event. Police say they don’t yet know a motive for the attack, but believe the suspect acted alone.
