By Douglas Helm | Posted 4 hours ago
Although JK Rowling is often the target of backlash on social media for her Tweets about transgender rights, she was recently sent a public death threat on the platform after expressing her support for Salman Rushdie. There was an attempt on Rushdie’s life, prompting Rowling to tweet, “Terrifying news. I feel very sick right now. Let him be well.” A Twitter user named Meer Asif Aziz responded with, “Don’t worry, you’re next.” Rowling recently asked her Twitter support team to help with the matter. See her tweet below: JK Rowling’s support for Salman Rushdie comes after the novelist was stabbed multiple times at a conference in Buffalo, New York. Rushdie was taken to hospital after the incident. The latest report from Rushdi’s son, Zafar, says he is not on a ventilator and has been able to say a few words, but is still in critical condition. Rushdie could also lose an eye as a result of the attack. The attack has reportedly caused nerve damage in his hand and damaged his liver. Rushdie was attending the conference to speak about free speech when he was attacked. The man arrested in Hadi Matar, whom Meer Asif Aziz referred to as a “revolutionary Shia fighter”, in earlier Tweets. Salman Rushdie is best known for his books The Satanic Verses and Midnight’s Children. The first is banned in Iran and has been since 1988, due to the book’s designation as blasphemous. In the late 1980s, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against Rushdie, calling for his death. This would not be the first attempt on Rushdie’s life, as a bomb exploded prematurely in 1989 when there was a failed assassination attempt on Rushdie. In 2012, the bonus against Rushdie increased to $3.3 million. Let’s hope that JK Rowling’s support for Rushdie in his recovery will not lead to further threats of violence. Following JK Rowling’s tweets, Police Scotland launched an investigation in response. Warner Bros Discovery also released a statement of its own, condemning the threats against the author and declaring their support for the authors, storytellers and creatives. Warner Bros Discovery is the company behind the film adaptations of Rowling’s Harry Potter series, as well as the latest Harry Potter films in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise. Although Rowling is getting support from the police and Warner Bros Discovery, it seems Twitter is not responding. According to Rowling, Twitter responded that there were no violations of their rules in the content she reported. Twitter has yet to officially comment on the matter. The good news from all of this is that it looks like Salman Rushdie is doing well after his attack. It remains to be seen if anything will change in the issues between JK Rowling and Twitter. Along with Rowling, other writers such as Neil Gaiman and Stephen King have also voiced their support for Rushdie. Meanwhile, Hadi Matar has been charged with attempted murder and second-degree assault. Matar pleaded not guilty on Saturday and was denied bail, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.
