Kochi: Noted writer Salman Rusdie was attacked while he was attending a function in the US on Friday.
The assailant targeted him as he was being introduced to the audience before his address on the importance of the US offering asylum for writers and other artists in exile organised by the Chautauqua Institute in New York, media reports said.
He was stabbed on his back. After giving initial first aid, he was shifted to hospital in a helicopter.
Though he is a British citizen of Indian origin, he has been residing in the US for the past two decades.
He shot to fame in 1981 through his book `midnight’s children ” in 1981 which fetched him the Booker prize.
His book ‘The Satanic Verses’ of 1988 created widespread protests against him and he started getting life threats.
It was banned in Iran whose supreme leader late Ayatollah Khomeini announced a fatwa of 3 million US dollar for those killing him.
Iran’s government distanced itself from the decree. An Iranaian religious foundation had raised the bounty to 3.3 million dollars in 2012.
Rushdie is the author of 14 novels.
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