US National Security Adviser appalled by attack on Islamophobic writer Salman Rushdie

ANKARA (AA) – The US National Security Adviser has said that the attack on author Salman Rushdie is “appalling”.

“We’re all praying for his speedy recovery,” Jake Sullivan wrote on Twitter. “And we’re thankful to good citizens and first responders for helping him so swiftly.”

Rushdie’s agent told the New York Times that the controversial writer, who was attacked on Friday on stage in the state of New York, has his arm and liver injured and he might lose an eye.

The young Iranian-American suspect Hadi Matar who attacked Rushdie was taken into custody.

Pictures on social media showed Rushdie, whose notoriously blasphemous and virulently Islamophobic works have prompted death threats, lying on stage at the Chautauqua Institution as police and bystanders attempted to provide first aid.

The attack took place before a lecture he was about to present.

Rushdie suffered a stab wound to his neck and was transported to a hospital, New York State Police said in a statement.

An interviewer also suffered a minor head injury, police added.

Rushdie is the author of several novels including one which caricaturized Islam’s holiest personalities- inviting anger from the Muslim community worldwide.

The offensive content of the book sparked violent protests by Muslims all over the world. Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini also issued a fatwah calling for his death.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khomeini’s successor, said that the fatwah remained in place and was irrevocable.