Salman Rushdie at the 68th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner
15 November 2017
Image: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Salman Rushdie, a world-famous author and a humanist who used his writings to oppose various forms of oppression including that of the tyrannical hyper-religious regime in Iran, had spent years in hiding due to a fatwa (religious decree) by late Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran which called for Rushdie's death. On 12 August 2022 Rushie was attacked in New York State in the US by a fan of Khomeini, most likely in furtherance of said fatwa. Rushdie received numerous stab wounds. He survived, though it was recently announced that he no longer has a use of one of his eyes and one hand.
This is the toll of fanaticism and irrationality. Whenever you have these wo forces at play, destruction is rarely far behind.
References
Report: Salman Rushdie lives, but loses use of eye and hand
Associated Press, 24 October 2022