British writer of Indian origin Salman Rushdie is blind in one eye and unable to use a hand after the August attack, his agent said. The 75-year-old author, who has been receiving death threats for years because of his book The Satanic Verses, was stabbed during his appearance in the US state of New York.
The attacker stabbed the writer in the neck and stomach. What injuries Rushdie sustained, however, were still unclear. The writer’s agent, Andrew Wylie, has now revealed the details in conversation with the Spanish newspaper El País.
“His injuries were serious, he can’t see with one eye,” Wylie said. “He suffered three serious neck injuries. He can’t use a hand because he has damaged nerves in his arm. And he had fourteen other injuries to his chest and torso. So it was a brutal attack,” the officer described. by Rushdie. As noted by the British newspaper The Guardian, Wylie declined to reveal whether Rushdie was still in the hospital. He just stated that the most important thing is that the writer will live.
He and Rushdie are said to have spoken several times in the past about the possibility of a similar attack. “Since the fatwa was issued, there was a danger that a random person would appear somewhere and attack him,” Wylie said. “You can’t protect yourself from this, it’s completely unexpected and illogical. Similar to the murder of John Lennon,” he added.
In 1989, Iranian spiritual leader Rouhollah Khomeini issued an order (fatwa) to kill Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses. Some Muslims consider this book an insult to Islam. The writer has been receiving death threats for years due to his work.
