After tweeting her support for Sir Salman Rushdie in the wake of his stabbing on Friday, Rowling received this response: “Don’t worry, you’re next.” Police are now investigating a report of an “online threat” made to Rowling. Harris, 58, wrote: “Fellow writers… have you ever received a death threat (credible or otherwise).” Response options were “Yes,” “Hell, yes,” “No, never,” and “Show me, dammit,” indicating skepticism about how serious the threats were. Author Julie Bindel said it was “disgustingly inappropriate”. And novelist Simon Edge described the poll, which was later deleted and replaced with an alternative version, as “indefensible” and said it was “a good time” for the Chocolat author to step down. Author Joanne Harris (left) has been accused of mocking JK Rowling (right) with a ‘tasteless’ Twitter poll about death threats Joanne Harris, 58, wrote in the poll: “Fellow writers… have you ever received a death threat (credible or otherwise)?” The poll was later deleted by Joanne Harris, who replaced it with an alternate version shown above But in response to another critic on Twitter, Harris said: “I don’t hate JK Rowling and have never said or implied as much.” The death threat came from a pro-Iranian Islamist extremist named Meer Asif Aziz, based in Karachi, who described himself on Twitter as a “student, social activist, political activist and researcher.” He also made tasteless “jokes” about how to destroy Israel and called a Ukraine savaged by Vladimir Putin – as well as Pakistan’s main geopolitical rival India – “terrorist states”. The 57-year-old Harry Potter author had expressed her horror at the heartbreaking attempt on Sir Salman’s life in upstate New York when the threat was sent to her on Twitter. He also revealed that after reporting the vile threat on Twitter, the social network responded by deciding that the extremist had not broken the rules. The email from Twitter read: “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 posted a screenshot of the response, commenting: “These are your instructions, right? “Violence: You may not threaten violence against an individual or group of people. We also prohibit the glorification of violence…”Terrorism/violent extremism: You may not threaten or promote terrorism”… The Harry Potter author tweeted: “Terrifying news. I feel very sick right now. Let him be okay. She received the chilling reply: “Don’t worry you’re next” The Harry Potter author had expressed her horror at the heartbreaking attempt on Sir Salman’s life in upstate New York when she was told of the threat on Twitter. Meer Asif Aziz is described as a “student, social activist, political activist and research activist” based in Karachi Aziz also appears to support Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who often rants about Israel in crazed, genocidal tweets. To one of Khamenei’s posts about the “oppressive Yazidis,” for example, Aziz responded with a heart emoji. And responding to another tweet from the Iranian dictator, Aziz blasted: “Dear leader your fight for the Islamic world will not be lost until we the new generation are with you.” Rowling had posted about Sir Salman’s stabbing: “Horrifying news. I feel very sick right now. Let him be okay. Aziz, who had described Sir Salman’s alleged attacker, Hadi Matar, 24, as a “revolutionary Shiite fighter”, then threatened: “Don’t worry, you’re next.” After sharing screenshots of the threatening tweet, Rowling said: “To everyone sending messages of support: thank you Police are involved (already involved in other threats). A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We have received a report of an online threat and officers are investigating.” Hadi Matar, 24, was charged with attempted murder and assault against author Salman Rushdie. Pictured arriving at the Chautauqua County Courthouse in Mayville, New York on Saturday Bosses at Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), the entertainment company behind the film adaptations of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, said they “strongly condemn” threats against the author. A spokesperson for the media group added: “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. “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 is among the writers and notables who have expressed disbelief following Sir Salman’s stabbing. The Indian-born British author, whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was due to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Foundation, 65 miles from Buffalo in New York state, when he was attacked. Matar is accompanied by the scene as people tend to write Sir Salman at Chautauqua Institution kast Friday On stage in the lecture theatre: Sir Salman Rushdie appears left at the Chautauqua Foundation in Buffalo, New York British-American author Aatish Taseer said, in a since-deleted tweet, that the 75-year-old was “off the ventilator and talking (and joking)”, which was later confirmed by the author’s agent Andrew Wylie. Mr Wylie had earlier said Sir Salman was on a ventilator and could lose an eye following injuries to his arm and liver. The man accused of stabbing him, Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, pleaded not guilty Saturday to charges of attempted murder and assault, in what prosecutors called a “premeditated” crime. In a family statement posted on social media yesterday, Sir Salman’s son Zafar Rushdie said: “Following the attack on Friday, my father remains in a critical condition in hospital and is receiving extensive ongoing medical treatment. “We are extremely relieved that yesterday he was taken off the ventilator and supplemental oxygen and he was able to say a few words. Blood was spattered on the wall behind where Sir Salman had been attacked, while some can also be seen on a chair. New York State Police confirmed that Sir Salman was stabbed in the neck Law enforcement officers detain Sir Salman’s suspected assailant Hadi Matar outside the Chautauqua Foundation “Although his life-changing injuries are serious, his usual sharp and defiant sense of humor remains intact. “We are so grateful to all members of the public who bravely rushed to his defense and provided first aid along with the police and medics who attended to him and for the outpouring of love and support from around the world. “We ask for continued patience and privacy as the family gathers at his bedside to support and assist him during this time.” In 2020, 58 writers, journalists and actors signed a letter to the Sunday Times in support of Rowling, condemning the “onslaught of abuse” she had received after expressing her views on gender. Three days later, Miss Harris was among more than 200 figures to release a statement in support of trans and non-binary people and their rights.
