Sir Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born British author, has opened up about the aftermath of the attack he endured in New York last year. Speaking to the BBC, the 76-year-old Booker Prize-winner revealed that he has been plagued by "crazy dreams" and is uncertain if he will ever speak at an open public event again.
In August 2022, Sir Salman was repeatedly stabbed while on stage at a literary festival at the Chautauqua Institute in New York state, resulting in the loss of vision in one eye. The alleged attacker, 25-year-old Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges.
Despite the ordeal, Sir Salman expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and affection he received following the incident. He compared the response to the threats he faced in 1989 after the publication of his novel "The Satanic Verses," noting that there was a stark difference in the level of support he received.
Describing surving the attack, he said: “First of all I feel very lucky, I discovered what a lucky person I am. Then there was this huge outpouring of support and affection and that was incredibly moving to feel – to be on the receiving end of that.
“And it’s a little strange as the moment when these threats began in 1989, frankly there wasn’t so much of an outpouring of affection – there was quite a lot of the other thing.”
Sir Salman admitted to being "in two minds" about his alleged attacker, stating that part of him wants to confront him in court while another part cannot be bothered. He emphasised the importance of moving forward and continuing with life.
The author revealed that he is currently writing about the incident, acknowledging the significant impact it has had on his life. He described the incident as a "colossal elephant in the room" that needs to be addressed before he can focus on other matters.
Speaking about his recovery since the attack, Sir Salman said: “The physical stuff is more or less OK, with the exception of having lost an eye – but otherwise the physical stuff is reasonably alright.
“The emotional stuff, it takes dealing with. I have a very good therapist who has a lot of work to do. I have crazy dreams.
“But I think really the main difference is I don’t know when I will again do a public event that is open to the public that anyone can show up.
“I don’t know when I’m going to put myself in that position again.”
The writer, who was subject to a fatway by Iran's religous leader during the 1980s for The Satanic Verses, also discussed the politicisation of religion, highlighting the need to distinguish between personal faith and the weaponisation of religion for political purposes. He emphasised that violence should not be seen as representative of any religion but rather as a representation of violence itself.
As Sir Salman continues to navigate the aftermath of the attack, he hopes for a time when his novel "The Satanic Verses" can be read as a work of fiction rather than a political controversy.
He said: “In America right now, you’ve got a highly weaponised version of Christianity, which was responsible in very large part for the reversal of Roe versus Wade – for the whole abortion debate.
“I’m not a religious person. I never have been, and came from a family that wasn’t particularly religious and we did alright…
“It’s not a thing I need for myself but if there are people who need it, that’s their business, not mine, until it becomes politicised."
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