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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 13 auguSt 2022
Author Salman Rushdie stabbed on lecture stage in New York

By JOSHUA GOODMAN lic violent attack on a lit-
Associated Press erary writer on American
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (AP) soil,” CEO Suzanne Nossel
— Salman Rushdie, whose said in a statement.
novel “The Satanic Verses” Rushdie’s 1988 novel was
drew death threats from viewed as blasphemous
Iran’s leader in the 1980s, by many Muslims, who saw
was stabbed in the neck a character as an insult to
and abdomen Friday by a the Prophet Muhammad,
man who rushed the stage among other objections.
as he was about to give Across the Muslim world,
a lecture in western New often-violent protests erupt-
York. ed against Rushdie, who
A bloodied Rushdie, 75, was was born in India to a Mus-
flown to a hospital. His con- lim family.
dition was not immediately At least 45 people were
known. His agent, Andrew killed in riots over the book,
Wylie, said the writer was including 12 people in Rush-
undergoing surgery, but he die’s hometown of Mum-
had no other details. bai. In 1991, a Japanese
Police identified the at- translator of the book was
tacker as Hadi Matar, 24, stabbed to death and an
of Fairview, New Jersey. He Italian translator survived
was arrested at the scene Law enforcement officers detain a person outside the Chautauqua Institution, Friday, Aug. 12, a knife attack. In 1993, the
and was awaiting arraign- 2022, in Chautauqua, N.Y.. book’s Norwegian publish-
ment. State police Major Associated Press er was shot three times and
Eugene J. Staniszewski said residencies to writers fac- his head offering more with a black mask. survived.
the motive for the stabbing ing persecution, was also than $3 million for anyone “We thought perhaps it The book was banned in
was unclear. attacked. Reese suffered who kills him. was part of a stunt to show Iran, where the late leader
An Associated Press report- a facial injury and was Rabbi Charles Savenor was that there’s still a lot of con- Grand Ayatollah Ruhol-
er witnessed the attacker treated and released from among the roughly 2,500 troversy around this author. lah Khomeini issued a 1989
confront Rushdie on stage a hospital, police said. He people in the audience. But it became evident in a fatwa, or edict, calling for
at the Chautauqua Institu- and Rushdie were due to Amid gasps, spectators few seconds” that it wasn’t, Rushdie’s death. Khomeini
tion and punch or stab him discuss the United States were ushered out of the she said. died that same year.
10 to 15 times as he was be- as a refuge for writers and outdoor amphitheater. The suspect’s attorney, Iran’s current Supreme
ing introduced. The author other artists in exile. The assailant ran onto public defender Nathan- Leader Ayatollah Ali
was pushed or fell to the A state trooper and a the platform “and started iel Barone, said he was still Khamenei has never issued
floor, and the man was ar- county sheriff’s deputy pounding on Mr. Rushdie. gathering information and a fatwa of his own with-
rested. were assigned to Rushdie’s At first you’re like, ‘What’s declined to comment. drawing the edict, though
Dr. Martin Haskell, a physi- lecture, and state police going on?’ And then it be- Rushdie has been a promi- Iran in recent years hasn’t
cian who was among those said the trooper made the came abundantly clear nent spokesman for free ex- focused on the writer.
who rushed to help, de- arrest. But after the attack, in a few seconds that he pression and liberal causes. Iran’s mission to the United
scribed Rushdie’s wounds some longtime visitors to was being beaten,” Save- He is a former president of Nations did not immedi-
as “serious but recover- the center questioned why nor said. He said the attack PEN America, which said ately respond to a request
able.” there wasn’t tighter secu- lasted about 20 seconds. it was “reeling from shock for comment on Friday’s
Event moderator Henry rity for the event, given the Another spectator, Kath- and horror” at the attack. attack, which led a night
Reese, 73, a co-founder of decades of threats against leen Jones, said the attack- “We can think of no com- news bulletin on Iranian
an organization that offers Rushdie and a bounty on er was dressed in black, parable incident of a pub- state television.q

Southern Baptists say denomination

faces DOJ investigation

by the U.S. Department of heads of mission organiza- demonstrated a firm con-
Justice in the wake of its tions — gave few details viction to address those is-
multiple problems related about the investigation, sues of the past and are
to clergy sex abuse. but indicated it dealt with implementing measures to
The SBC’s Executive Com- widespread sexual abuse ensure they are never re-
mittee has received a sub- problems that have rocked peated in the future.”
poena, but no individuals the largest Protestant de- Earlier this year, an SBC sex
have been subpoenaed at nomination in the U.S. abuse task force released
this point, according to the “Individually and collec- a blistering 288-page re-
committee’s lawyers. tively each SBC entity is port from outside consul-
“This is an ongoing inves- resolved to fully and com- tant, Guidepost Solutions.
A cross and Bible sculpture stand outside the Southern Baptist
Convention headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., on May 24, 2022. tigation and we are not pletely cooperate with the The firm’s seven-month in-
Associated Press commenting on our discus- investigation,” the state- dependent investigation
sions with DOJ,” they said. ment said. “While we con- found disturbing details
By H. MEYER/D. CRARY Baptist Convention said The statement from SBC tinue to grieve and lament about how denomination-
Associated Press Friday that several of the leaders — including Execu- past mistakes related to al leaders mishandled sex
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — denomination’s major enti- tive Committee members, sexual abuse, current lead- abuse claims and mistreat-
Leaders of the Southern ties are under investigation seminary presidents and ers across the SBC have ed victims. q