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A28 U.s. news
Diasabra 13 augustus 2022

Author Salman Rushdie attacked on lecture stage in New York

(AP) — Salman Rushdie, suffered a minor head injury, ment protection program,
the author whose novel police said. He and Rushdie which included a round-the-
“The Satanic Verses” drew were due to discuss the Unit- clock armed guard. Rushdie
death threats from Iran’s ed States as a refuge for writ- emerged after nine years of
leader in the 1980s, was ers and other artists in exile. seclusion and cautiously re-
attacked and apparently sumed more public appear-
stabbed in the neck Friday A state trooper and a county ances, maintaining his out-
by a man who rushed the sheriff’s deputy were as- spoken criticism of religious
stage as he was about to signed to Rushdie’s lecture, extremism overall.
give a lecture in western and state police said the
New York. trooper made the arrest. But He said in a 2012 talk in New
after the attack, some long- York that terrorism is really
A bloodied Rushdie, 75, was time visitors to the center the art of fear.
flown to a hospital. His con- questioned why there wasn’t
dition was not immediately tighter security for the event, “The only way you can de-
known. His agent, Andrew given the decades of threats feat it is by deciding not to be
Wylie, said the writer was un- against Rushdie and a bounty afraid,” he said.
dergoing surgery, but he had on his head offering more
no other details. than $3 million for anyone Anti-Rushdie sentiment has
who kills him. lingered long after Khomei-
An Associated Press reporter ni’s decree. The Index on
witnessed a man confront Rabbi Charles Savenor was Censorship, an organization
Rushdie on stage at the Chau- among the roughly 2,500 nent spokesman for free ex- death and an Italian transla- promoting free expression,
tauqua Institution and punch people in the audience. Amid pression and liberal causes. tor survived a knife attack. said money was raised to
or stab him 10 to 15 times gasps, spectators were ush- He is a former president of In 1993, the book’s Norwe- boost the reward for his kill-
as he was being introduced. ered out of the outdoor am- PEN America, which said it gian publisher was shot three ing as recently as 2016.
The author was pushed or phitheater. was “reeling from shock and times and survived.
fell to the floor, and the man horror” at the attack. An Associated Press jour-
was arrested. The assailant ran onto the The book was banned in Iran, nalist who went to the Teh-
platform “and started pound- “We can think of no compa- where the late leader Grand ran office of the 15 Khordad
Authorities did not immedi- ing on Mr. Rushdie. At first rable incident of a public vio- Ayatollah Ruhollah Kho- Foundation, which put up
ately identify the attacker or you’re like, ‘What’s going lent attack on a literary writer meini issued a 1989 fatwa, or the millions for the bounty
offer any information on his on?’ And then it became on American soil,” CEO Su- edict, calling for Rushdie’s on Rushdie, found it closed
motive. abundantly clear in a few zanne Nossel said in a state- death. Khomeini died that Friday night on the Iranian
seconds that he was being ment. same year. weekend. No one answered
State police said Rushdie was beaten,” Savenor said. He calls to its listed telephone
apparently stabbed in the said the attack lasted about 20 Rushdie’s 1988 novel was Iran’s current Supreme Lead- number.
neck. Gov. Kathy Hochul seconds. viewed as blasphemous by er Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
said later that he was alive and many Muslims, who saw a has never issued a fatwa of his In 2012, Rushdie published
“getting the care he needs.” Another spectator, Kathleen character as an insult to the own withdrawing the edict, a memoir, “Joseph Anton,”
Jones, said the attacker was Prophet Muhammad, among though Iran in recent years about the fatwa. The title
Dr. Martin Haskell, a physi- dressed in black, with a black other objections. Across the hasn’t focused on the writer. came from the pseudonym
cian who was among those mask. Muslim world, often-vio- Rushdie had used while in
who rushed to help, de- lent protests erupted against Iran’s mission to the United hiding.
scribed Rushdie’s wounds as “We thought perhaps it was Rushdie, who was born in Nations did not immedi-
“serious but recoverable.” part of a stunt to show that India to a Muslim family. ately respond to a request for Rushdie rose to prominence
there’s still a lot of controver- comment on Friday’s attack, with his Booker Prize-win-
Event moderator Henry Re- sy around this author. But it At least 45 people were killed which led a night news bulle- ning 1981 novel “Midnight’s
ese, a co-founder of an orga- became evident in a few sec- in riots over the book, in- tin on Iranian state television. Children,” but his name
nization that offers residen- onds” that it wasn’t, she said. cluding 12 people in Rush- became known around the
cies to writers facing perse- die’s hometown of Mumbai. The death threats and bounty world after “The Satanic
cution, was also attacked and Rushdie has been a promi- In 1991, a Japanese translator led Rushdie to go into hid- Verses.”
of the book was stabbed to ing under a British govern-

Minnesota’s Finstad sworn in as newest member of Congress

which means Democrats dren, what we do is all about morning and don’t wonder
can’t afford to lose more them, all about the future.” if something will be broken
than four votes on close during the day; we know
issues like their flagship Finstad, a former state rep- something will be, so instead,
climate change and health resentative from New Ulm we wonder how we will fix it.
care bill. who served as state director I will come to work every day
for USDA Rural Develop- in Congress with the inten-
Democratic Speaker Nancy ment during the Trump ad- tion to do everything I can to
Pelosi held a ceremonial pho- ministration, won a special fix things.”
to op afterward with a smiling election Tuesday to fill out
Finstad, who was surrounded the remaining months of the Finstad will face a quick re-
by members of his large fam- term of the late Republican match in November for a full
ily, including his wife, Jackie, U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, term against his Democratic
and their seven children. who died of cancer in Febru- opponent, former Hormel
ary. Foods CEO Jeff Ettinger,
“It’s a special day for us to who came within 4 percent-
(AP) — Minnesota Re- the newest member of welcome a new member of “People in my district sent age points of winning Tues-
publican Brad Finstad the U.S. House, giving Congress, Mr. Finstad, and a farmer to Congress,” Fin- day in their Republican-
was sworn in Friday as the GOP one more seat, his beautiful family,” Pelosi stad said in a statement. “As leaning southern Minnesota
said. “As I said to the chil- a farmer, we wake up in the district.