Salman Rushdie, the acclaimed author who survived a 2022 knife attack, was saved by a very skilled doctor who stated that Rushdie was lucky because the assailant did not know how to kill with the knife. Rushdie was stabbed multiple times during a speech he was giving in upstate New York, resulting in injuries that included the loss of sight in one eye and use of one hand. The attack was believed to be in response to Rushdie’s controversial novel, “The Satanic Verses”, which had caused outrage among many Muslims for its fictionalized portrayal of Prophet Muhammad. Rushdie had been the subject of a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, forcing him into hiding for a decade.
The attacker, Hadi Matar, had shared social media posts supporting Iran and Shi’a extremism, which led law enforcement to believe he had extremist views. Matar claimed to have only read a couple of pages of “The Satanic Verses” but respected the Ayatollah. Despite these extremist views, Matar pleaded not guilty to the attack on Rushdie and faces up to 30 years in prison. Rushdie’s ability to survive the brutal assault was surprising to Matar, who was shocked by the news.
Following the attack, Rushdie decided to write a memoir titled “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” which he believes was necessary to take control of what happened and respond to violence with art. The publication of his book caused a delay in Matar’s trial as Rushdie’s account of the attack needed to be reviewed by the legal teams. Rushdie, now 76 years old, remains dedicated to his work and continues to write despite the traumatic experience he went through.
The upcoming “60 Minutes” interview with Anderson Cooper will feature Rushdie discussing the events that transpired during the attack and how he managed to survive. The author’s resilience and determination to continue his work in the face of adversity have served as an inspiration to many. Rushdie’s brush with death has only fueled his desire to create art and share his experiences with the world. Despite the challenges he has faced, Rushdie remains committed to his craft and plans to continue writing and sharing his stories with his readers.
