President Joe Biden has condemned the “vicious” assault on Sir Salman Rushdie because the acclaimed creator stays hospitalised.
In a press release on Saturday afternoon, Mr Biden wrote: “Jill and I were shocked and saddened to learn of the vicious attack on Salman Rushdie yesterday in New York. We, together with all Americans and people around the world, are praying for his health and recovery. I am grateful to the first responders and the brave individuals who jumped into action to render aid to Rushdie and subdue the attacker.
“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. These are the building blocks of any free and open society. And today, we reaffirm our commitment to those deeply American values in solidarity with Rushdie and all those who stand for freedom of expression.”
The White House had earlier responded to the assault in a press release from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan late Friday evening.
“Today, the country and the world witnessed a reprehensible attack against the writer Salman Rushdie,” Mr Sullivan stated.
“This act of violence is appalling. All of us in the Biden-Harris Administration are praying for his speedy recovery. We are thankful to good citizens and first responders for helping Mr. Rushdie so quickly after the attack and to law enforcement for its swift and effective work, which is ongoing.”
Sir Salman was stabbed within the neck and stomach whereas on stage at a ebook occasion on the Chautauqua Institution in New York on Thursday.
The assailant – recognized as 24-year-old Hadi Matar of New Jersey – was charged with second-degree tried homicide on Saturday.
Video confirmed surprised attendees on the literary occasion dashing in to wrestle the attacker away from Sir Salman earlier than he was arrested by a New York state trooper assigned to supply safety on the venue.
Sir Salman – who has lived with a bounty on his head because the late Nineteen Eighties when Iranian spiritual chief Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa towards him – has since been positioned on a ventilator, his agent Andrew Wylie informed Reuters.
“The news is not good,” Mr Wylie stated late Friday. “Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged.”
No official motive has been decided for the assault, however it might be associated to a long-running controversy over Rushdie’s 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses, which has provoked quite a few threats towards the creator’s life.
Source: www.impartial.co.uk