“We cannot immediately think of any comparable incident of a public violent attack on a writer during a literary event in America,” said Susan NosselCEO of the non-profit literary organization Pen America, who noted that the motivation for the attack and Rushdie’s current status were unknown as of Friday morning.
Rushdie Penn is the former president of America, which advocates for freedom of expression for writers around the world. She said in a statement that members of the organization were “shocked and horrified”. Nossel said Rushdie Hours before the attack, she emailed Ukrainian writers to ask about helping those in need of safe haven.
“Salman Rushdie has been targeted for his words for decades, but he has never bowed down or faltered,” he said. “He has devoted a tireless energy to helping others who are vulnerable and in danger.”
“I hope Salman Rushdie is fine,” tweeted Stephen King,
“I’m really shocked. I never thought this would happen. He’s living in the West and being protected since 1989 Islam can be attacked. I am worried” tweeted Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen,
“It is horrifying to learn that Salman Rushdie has been attacked at a speech event in New York. Wishing him a speedy recovery,” said writer Amitav Ghosh.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar said, ‘I condemn the barbaric attack on Salman Rushdie by some fundamentalists. I hope the New York police and court will take the strongest possible action against the attacker.
The Wiley agency, which represents Rushdie, did not respond to a request for comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US Senator Chuck Schumer from New York called it an “attack on freedom of speech and thought”.
Writer Neil Gaiman wrote on Twitter that he was “shocked and distressed” about the attack. “He is a good man and a brilliant one and I hope he is fine,” he said.
Governor Kathy Hochulu The New York woman said she had instructed state police to assist in the investigation of Rushdie’s attack. According to a statement by the state police, one person was immediately taken into custody. Images on social media of the alleged attacker being taken away by police showed a young man with his hair chopped off.
A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country’s largest Muslim civil rights group, said he was concerned that people might blame Muslims or Islam for the stabbing before the attacker’s identity or motive was known. Ibrahim Hooper said, “American Muslims, like all Americans, condemn any violence that targets anyone in our society.”