Rowling tweeted on Friday: “Terrible news. I feel very sick right now. Let him be well.” A Twitter user named Meer Asif Asiz responded: “Don’t worry, you’re next.” Rowling shared screenshots of the threat and thanked everyone who sent messages of support. “The police are involved (already involved in other threats),” he wrote. A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We have received a report of an online threat and officers are investigating.” The same Twitter account also posted messages praising the man who attacked and stabbed Rushdie on stage in New York state. The tweet to Rowling appeared to have been removed on Sunday morning. In a statement, bosses at Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), the entertainment company behind the film adaptations of Rowling’s Harry Potter series, said they “strongly condemn” the threats against the author. “We stand with her and all the writers, storytellers and creators who bravely express their creativity and opinions. WBD believes in freedom of expression, peaceful speech, and supporting those who offer their views in the public space,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with Sir Salman Rushdie and his family following the senseless act of violence in New York. The company strongly condemns any form of threat, violence or intimidation where opinions, beliefs and thoughts may differ.” Rowling also called on Twitter to take action. He posted: “@TwitterSupport any chance of some support?” The response from Twitter, Rowling said, was: “After reviewing the available information, we determined that there were no violations of Twitter’s rules in the content you reported. We appreciate your help and encourage you to contact us again in the future if you see potential violations.” Rowling responded by asking, “Those are your instructions, right? “Violence: You may not threaten violence against a person or group of people. We also prohibit the glorification of violence… Terrorism/violent extremism: You may not threaten or promote terrorism…” Twitter has been approached for comment. Rowling is one of many authors who have expressed concern about Rushdie, including Neil Gaiman, Stephen King and William Dalrymple, who described the attack as “a terrible day for literature, for free speech and for writers everywhere”.
