Salman Rushdie to Publish Memoir on Knife Attack: 'I Responded to Violence with Art'

Salman Rushdie, the author of 'The Satanic Verses,' who was attacked last year by an individual 'supportive of the Islamic Republic' with a knife to the neck and abdomen, resulting in the loss of sight in his right eye and damage to his left hand, has now documented his experience of this event in a memoir. He stated, 'Writing this book was essential for me to regain control and respond to violence with art.' The 256-page book titled 'Knife: Meditations After the Assassination Attempt' will be published by Random House. Rushdie's assailant, Hadi Matar, was found using a fake driver's license in the name of 'one of the commanders of Hezbollah' at the time of his arrest. Federal prosecutors are currently 'investigating his connections' with 'Hezbollah or the Islamic Republic.' Hadi Matar, the son of Lebanese immigrants, underwent a transformation after traveling to Lebanon in 2018, becoming radicalized in 'Shia Islam' and supporting the Iranian Islamic Revolution. Shortly after the fatwa calling for Rushdie's death was issued by Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 due to blasphemy in 'The Satanic Verses,' the author lived in isolation under round-the-clock security for many years. Years later, he had reduced his restrictions until he was stabbed on stage before a speech in New York. At 76, Salman Rushdie is a prominent advocate for free speech and a former president of the American PEN Association. In an interview with The New Yorker, he mentioned that writing stories has become challenging for him, and he may resort to memoir writing instead. In his 2012 memoir titled 'Joseph Anton,' he wrote extensively and in the third person about Khomeini's fatwa. Rushdie states, 'This is no longer a third-person story. When someone stabs you, it becomes a first-person story. This is my story.' Rushdie's previous novel, 'Victory City,' was published by Penguin before the attack on him. Other notable works by Salman Rushdie include 'Midnight's Children,' which won the Booker Prize, 'Shame,' and 'The Last Temptation of Christ.' Rushdie's memoir is set to be published in April 2024. The U.S. prosecution is investigating the possible connection between Rushdie's assailant and the Islamic Republic. Hassan Sanei, an advocate for increasing the bounty on Salman Rushdie's head, has passed away. The creator of 'The Satanic Verses' stated: 'I will no longer speak in public forums.' Salman Rushdie, nine months after the assassination attempt: 'Free speech is under severe threat.' Salman Rushdie has lost the sight in one eye.