Controversial Satanic Verses author blind in one eye after ‘brutal stage attack’

A controversial author has been blinded in one eye and can only use one hand as a result of a savage attack he suffered on stage.

The Satanic Verses writer, Salman Rushdie was stabbed in the neck and torso as he came on stage to present a talk on artistic freedom at the Chautauqua Institution, New York, on August 12.

In an interview with Spanish newspaper, El Pais, Rushdie's agent Andrew Wylie declined to say whether or not the 74-year-old author remained in hospital but he did reveal the extent of his injuries.

READ MORE: Novelist Salman Rushdie is on ventilator and may lose an eye after attack says his agent

Wylie said: “[His wounds] were profound, but he’s [also] lost the sight of one eye.

“He had three serious wounds in his neck. One hand is incapacitated because the nerves in his arm were cut. And he has about 15 more wounds in his chest and torso. So, it was a brutal attack.”

Despite these injuries, Wylie confirmed Rushdie's injuries were not life threatening.

The Indian-British author received death threats from Iran and was issued with a fatwa in the 80s after publishing The Satanic Verses, a magical realism novel inspired by the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad in 1980.

“The principal danger that he faced so many years after the fatwa was imposed is from a random person coming out of nowhere and attacking [him],” Wylie said.

To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.

• 

  Evil thug who murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones 'beaten up in jail for bragging about crime'

“So, you can’t protect against that because it’s totally unexpected and illogical. It was like John Lennon[’s murder]."

Hadi Matar, 24, is accused of stabbing Rushdie and has been charged with attempted murder and assault. Matar pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared in court on August 18.

In 1989, the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for Rushdie's death, however the Iranian regime since has made efforts to distance itself from the fatwa, reports The Guardian.

Despite this, the price on the author's head has increased over time to more than $3million (£2.6m).

READ MORE:

• Salman Rushdie was 'lying in pool of blood' after being stabbed as his attacker is named
• Salman Rushdie attacker lived in mum's basement watching Netflix and playing games
• Iran's chilling 'fatwa' that saw 30,000 hanged from cranes in sickening two-month purge

Source: Read Full Article