Salman Rushdie updates — Scotland Police investigating threat to JK Rowling after Satanic Verses author stabbed 10 times
POLICE in Scotland said they are investigating an online threat made to author JK Rowling, after she tweeted about the stabbing of Salman Rushdie.
The author issued a tweet saying she had hoped Rushdie was okay after he was allegedly stabbed 10 times, and said she felt "very sick."
A user commented, "don't worry you are next."
The Harry Potter creator assured fans "To all sending supportive messages: thank you police are involved (were already involved on other threats)".
Rushdie was attacked as he spoke at the Chautauqua Institution, prosecutors said at the suspect's arraignment.
Hadi Matar, 24, of New Jersey has been charged with attempted murder and assault.
According to the New York Times, prosecutors said that the attack was premeditated and targeted at Rushdie.
Read our Salman Rushdie blog for news and updates...
When was Salman Rushdie married to Padma Lakshmi?
Salman Rushdie has reportedly been married to four women.
Padma Lakshmi was his fourth wife.
Salman married was married to Clarissa Luard from 1976 to 1987. After their divorce, Salman married Marianne Wiggins from 1988 to 1993.
Subsequently, he went on to marry Elizabeth West from 1997 to 2004.
Matar's neighbors speak out
Most of Matar’s neighbors told thethey do not know him or his family.
Some recognized Matar from a photo and said he walks around with his head down and avoids eye contact
Antonio Lopa, a neighbor, told the Times said he saw upwards of 15 F.B.I. agents outside Matar’s home on Friday, into the early hours of the morning Saturday.
Matar in court
According to the Matar sported a striped jumpsuit and was handcuffed and shackled.
He wore bright orange slide-on shoes and said nothing, the Times said.
Nathaniel Barone, his public defender, entered a not-guilty plea on Matar's behalf.
Planned attack
Hadi Matar, 24, of New Jersey has been charged with attempted murder and assault.
According to the prosecutors said that the attack was premeditated and targeted at Rushdie.
Matar allegedly traveled to the location on a bus, purchasing a pass to get to Rushdie.
He is being held without bail.
No news on Rushdie's condition
Rsuhdie was airlifted to a Pennsylvania Hospital to be treated for his injures.
He was reportedly on a ventilator.
A spokesperson for he hospital told multiple news outlets they had now news on his condition on Sunday,
Why weren't there metal detectors at Chautauqua?
Questions have been raised about the security of the Chautauqua Institution, where the attack took place.
Namely, concerns revolved around reports of a lack of bag checks or metal detectors at the door.
Two sources at the institution told leadership reportedly rejected such measures due to fears they would change the culture and "create a divide" between the speakers and audience members.
Biden condemns attack
President Biden released a statement on Saturday, condeming the alleged attack on Tuesday.
"We, together with all Americans and people around the world, are praying for his health and recovery," Biden said.
"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. "
Security tightened at Chautauqua
As the US Sun has reported, Service workers are now required to have a photo ID and be processed at the site's ticket office for their proper credentials at the Chautauqua Institution
"Grounds access is limited to pass holders, those residing or on the grounds, and staff," President Michael E. Hill said.
Hill mentioned that "What we have experienced is unlike anything in our 150-year history."
The institution plans on continuing its 2022 summer conference series with new security measures to be announced soon.
Chautauqua Institution's president responds
President Michael E. Hill broke the institution's silence on the horrific incident that took place as Rushdie was set to speak in West New York, as well as coming advancements on the Chautauqua's security measures.
There will be time in the days and weeks ahead to reflect on all we’ve experienced, and we have already been working on how to adapt to yesterday's horror to ensure our conversations continue," Hill says in his statement.
"We will soon share operational details about how we will proceed through the remainder of the 2022 Summer Assembly.
In the interim, cancellations of the assembly and restrictions to the area have already taken place.
On Saturday, the program announced that "the 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. programs are canceled.
Not-guilty plea
Hadi Matar, the alleged suspect, was charged with second degree assault with intent to cause physical injury with a deadly weapon, CNN reports.
He pleaded not guilty, .
Barone entered the not-guilty plea on Matar his behalf during an arraignment hearing in New York.
Matar appeared in court wearing a black and white jumpsuit and a white face mask. His hands were cuffed in front of him.
He was arraigned on the charges last night and remanded without bail, said the Chautauqua Co. DA’s office. New York state police said on Saturday that Matar of Fairview, New Jersey, was being detained at Chautauqua County Jail.
Barone also said Matar has been cooperative and communicating with him, but he did not disclose what was discussed.
Rushdie's horrific wounds
Rushdie was allegedly stabbed three times on the right side of his neck, times on his stomach, and once in his right eye.
He also allegedly received a wound to his chest and one to his right thigh,according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt,
Rushdie is at risk of losing his eye, according to his agent.
Iran’s horror response, part two
Ultra-conservative Iranian newspaper Kayhan commended the stabbing as its chief Hossein Shariatmadari described Rushdie as "depraved".
He said: "Bravo to this courageous and duty-conscious man who attacked the apostate and depraved Salman Rushdie in New York."
"Let us kiss the hands of the one who tore the neck of the enemy of God with a knife."
And in a chilling warning, its vengeful editor cautioned on Saturday that former US President Donald Trump and ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "are next".
FARS News, another regime-owned outlet, accused Rushdie of having "insulted the Prophet of Islam (PBUH)" with the book's "anti-religious content"
Iran's horror response
As Rushdie remains desperately ill in hospital, Iran's dictatorship has celebrated the horror attack - branding him an "apostate" and "heretic" as they praised his attacker for "tearing neck of the enemy of God with a knife".
Suspect's background
Investigators have been working to determine whether the alleged assailant, born a decade after The Satanic Verses was published, acted alone.
US law enforcement last night revealed an initial investigation suggested Matar is sympathetic to the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the reported.
He was born in the US to Lebanese parents who emigrated from Yaroun, a border village in southern Lebanon, said its mayor, Ali Tehfe.
A state trooper and a county sheriff's deputy had been assigned to Rushdie's lecture, and police confirmed the trooper nabbed the man.
Previous threats
Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses has been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous, as the Us Sun has previously reported.
One year later, Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death.
A bounty of more than $3m has also been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie.
He has continued to receive death threats and was forced to live in hiding under constant armed guards for nine years to keep him safe.
Rushdie on Al-Qaeda hit list in 2010
Anwar al-Awlaki published an Al-Qaeda hit list in Inspire magazine in 2010, which included Rushdie along with other individuals who were allegedly responsible for allegedly insulting Islam, according to a article.
These individuals included Ayaan Hirsi Ali, cartoonist Lars Vilks, and three employees of the Jyllands-Posten: Kurt Westergaard, Carsten Juste, and Flemming Rose.
Later, the list was enlarged to include Stéphane “Charb” Charbonnier and 11 additional victims of the Paris terror attack on Charlie Hebdo. Al-Qaeda called for additional deaths following the assault.
Rushdie’s four marriages
Rushdie has been married four times.
He has a son named Zafar while he was wed to his first wife, Clarissa Luard, from 1976 until 1987.
Midway through the 1980s, he dumped her in favor of Australian author Robyn Davidson, whom their common friend Bruce Chatwin had introduced to him.
The American author Marianne Wiggins served as his second wife; they wed in 1988 and divorced in 1993.
Elizabeth West was his third wife from 1997 until 2004; the couple had a son named Milan.
He wed Padma Lakshmi, an Indian-American actor, model, and the host of the reality series Top Chef, in 2004. The union disintegrated on July 2, 2007.
Failed assassination attempts on Rushdie
However, there have been a number of unsuccessful murder attempts against Rushdie throughout the years, including assaults on numerous individuals involved in its release.
Japanese translator Hitoshi Igarashi was fatally stabbed in 1991, and another incident that year also almost killed an Italian translator.
Failed assassination attempts on Rushdie
However, there have been a number of unsuccessful murder attempts against Rushdie throughout the years, including assaults on numerous individuals involved in its release.
Japanese translator Hitoshi Igarashi was fatally stabbed in 1991, and another incident that year also almost killed an Italian translator.
10 years under police protection
Rushdie spent approximately 10 years living under police protection following the call for his execution.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, called for Rushdie’s murder in 1989 because his book, The Satanic Verses, was seen to be offensive to Islam.
He was prohibited from entering India, the nation of his birth, for more than 10 years since the book was outlawed there.
Rushdie’s early life, continued
Rushdie migrated to England from India to attend the Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, and subsequently King’s College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
He was raised in Bombay and schooled at the Cathedral and John Connon School in Fort, South Bombay.
Rushdie went permanently to the UK after receiving his degree from Cambridge after spending a brief period of time with his family in Pakistan (who had relocated there from Bombay, India).
Rushdie’s early life
During the British Raj, on June 19, 1947, Ahmed Salman Rushdie was born in Bombay to a Muslim Indian family from Kashmir. He has three sisters.
He is the son of Cambridge-educated lawyer and businessman Anis Ahmed Rushdie and teacher Negin Bhatt.
After it was discovered that the birth certificate he had filed had been altered to make him look younger than he actually was, Anis Ahmed Rushdie was fired from the Indian Civil Services.
In his 2012 autobiography, he claimed that his father took the name Rushdie in honor of Averroes, per his Wikipedia profile.
Backpack found at the scene
New York State Trooper James O’Callaghan said police are working with prosecutors to obtain search warrants for various items, including a backpack and electronic devices found.
O’Callaghan said Hadi Matar, 24, who has been taken into custody for allegedly stabbing Rushdie, is assumed to have allegedly acted alone.
Not-guilty plea
On accusations of attempted murder and assault, the man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie has filed a not-guilty plea in a New York court, according to .
During an arraignment session, a lawyer for Hadi Matar, 24, entered the plea on his behalf.
Matar showed up in court with a white face mask and a black and white jumpsuit. He had his hands bound in front of him.
Rushdie was being presented for a speech at the Chautauqua Institute on Friday when Matar is said to have attacked the author.
Jake Sullivan releases statement on attack
While Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor for the House, has issued a statement on the assault on author Salman Rushdie.
On August 12, Sullivan said: “Today the country and the world witnessed a reprehensible attack against the writer Salman Rushdie. This act of violence is appalling.
“All of us in the Biden-Harris Administration are praying for his speedy recovery.”