Salman Rushdie Stabbing: Author Recovering As More Condemn Attack

MAYVILLE, NY — Renowned author Salman Rushdie was taken off a ventilator over the weekend and is "on the road to recovery" as condemnation of the attack that left him with potentially life-changing injuries grows.

Rushdie's agent confirmed his condition over the weekend, according to The Associated Press. Rushdie, 75, suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and one eye, agent Andrew Wylie previously told The AP. Rushdie is likely to lose the injured eye.

Rushdie, who has penned more than a dozen novels and was knighted in 2007 for his contributions to literature, was attacked and stabbed on stage Friday during a literary event in Chautauqua.

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According to police, 24-year-old Hadi Matar of New Jersey rushed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and attacked Rushdie, stabbing him once in the neck and once in the abdomen. Rushdie was airlifted to the hospital for treatment.

Matar has been charged with attempted murder and assault.

Rushdie remains in critical condition, son Zafar Rushdie confirmed in a statement posted on Twitter, but his "usual feisty and defiant sense of humor remains intact."

"We are so grateful for all the audience members who bravely leapt [sic] to his defence [sic] and administered first aid," the statement read. "We ask for continued patience and privacy as the family comes together at his bedside to help and support him through this time."

According to a biography provided by the Chautauqua event, Rushdie is the author of 14 novels, four works of non-fiction and a collection of short stories. His works include "Luka and the Fire of Life," "Grimus," and his most famous "Midnight's Children," for which he won the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker.

"We are deeply shocked and appalled to hear of the attack on Salman Rushdie while he was speaking at the Chautauqua Institution in New York," Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle said in a statement. "We condemn this violent public assault, and our thoughts are with Salman and his family at this distressing time."

One of Rushdie's books, "The Satanic Verses," is considered to be blasphemous by many Muslims and has been banned in Iran since 1988. A year later, Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie's death.

A bounty of over $3 million has been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie.

The threats caused Rushdie to go into hiding with the help of the British government. He remained in hiding for nine years before re-emerging and resuming public appearances.

Iran's government has long since distanced itself from Khomeini's decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment lingered. In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation raised the bounty for Rushdie from $2.8 million to $3.3 million.

In their first public remarks since the attack, Iranian officials denied responsibility but continued to justify the attack, The AP reported.

"Regarding the attack against Salman Rushdie in America, we don’t consider anyone deserving reproach, blame or even condemnation, except for (Rushdie) himself and his supporters," Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said at a news conference.

"In this regard, no one can blame the Islamic Republic of Iran," Kanaani continued. "We believe that the insults made and the support he received was an insult against followers of all religions."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the Iranian sentiment "despicable."

"The United States and partners will not waver in our determination to stand up to these threats, using every appropriate tool at our disposal," Blinken said in a statement. "The strength of Rushdie — and that of all of those around the world who have endured such threats — steels our resolve and underscores the imperative of standing united as an international community against those who would challenge these universal rights."

Other world leaders offered an outpouring of support and condemnation of the attack.

"Salman Rushdie — with his insight into humanity, with his unmatched sense for story, with his refusal to be intimidated or silenced — stands for essential, universal ideals. Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear," President Joe Biden said in a statement released Saturday. "These are the building blocks of any free and open society."

Vice President Kamala Harris issued also shared a statement Saturday, saying "violence and hate have no place" in a free society.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "appalled" at the attack.

"Appalled that Sir Salman Rushdie has been stabbed while exercising a right we should never cease to defend," Johnson tweeted.

Rushdie's ex-wife, author, and James Beard Award winner Padma Lakshmi offered her thoughts Sunday.

"Relieved @SalmanRushdie is pulling through after Friday’s nightmare. Worried and wordless, can finally exhale. Now hoping for swift healing," Lakshmi tweeted.

Fellow author Stephen King also weighed in. "I'm trying to cheer myself up this afternoon. What happened to Salman Rushdie preys on my mind."