Literary figures and officials said they were shocked by the news that author Salman Rushdie had been stabbed in the neck Friday morning as he took the stage to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York.
“We can’t immediately think of a similar incident of a public violent attack on a writer at a literary event here in the United States,” said Suzanne Nossel, the chief executive officer of the literary nonprofit organization PEN America, who noted that the motivations for the attack and the current condition of mr. Rushdie were unknown late Friday morning.
Mr. Rushdie is a former president of PEN America, which advocates for the freedom of expression of writers around the world.
She said in a statement that members of the organization “were reeling with shock and horror.”
Mrs. Nossel said that Mr. Rushdie had emailed her hours before the attack, asking if Ukrainian writers in need of a safe haven could be helped.
“Salman Rushdie has been the target of his words for decades, but he never backed down,” she said. “He has put tireless energy into helping others who are vulnerable and threatened.”
The author Neil Gaiman wrote on Twitter that he was “shocked and saddened” by the attack.
“He’s a good man and a brilliant one and I hope he’s okay,” he said.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: in a Twitter post that he was “appalled that Sir Salman Rushdie was stabbed while exercising a right that we should never cease to defend. Right now my thoughts are with his loved ones. We all hope he’s okay.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had instructed state police to assist in the investigation of Mr Rushdie’s attack. A man was immediately arrested, according to a statement from the state police.
“Our thoughts are with Salman and his loved ones after this horrific event,” Ms Hochul said on Twitter.
New York Senator Charles E. Schumer also spoke out on social media, calling the attack “shocking and appalling.”
“It is an attack on freedom of expression and thought, two fundamental values of our country and of the Chautauqua institution,” wrote Mr Schumer. “I hope Mr Rushdie makes a speedy and full recovery and that the perpetrator experiences full responsibility and justice.”
The author Ian McEwan echoed his colleagues by calling the attack “appalling” and said Mr Rushdie is “an inspiring defender of persecuted writers and journalists”, in a statement released Friday afternoon.
“These are the freedoms that underlie all of our rights and freedoms,” said Mr McEwan.
A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country’s largest Islamic civil rights group, said he feared people would rush to blame Muslims or Islam for the stabbing before the identity or motive of the attacker was revealed. was known.
“Muslim Americans, like all Americans, condemn any violence directed against anyone in our society,” said Ibrahim Hooper. “That goes without saying. We will have to monitor the situation and see what facts come to light.”
Liam Stack reporting contributed.
