Salman Rushdie’s ‘hot and defiant’ humor intact: Son and New York governor

Rushdie, 75, was taken off the ventilator on Saturday and could talk after being stabbed on stage at a literary event in New York state on Friday.

On Sunday, Zafar commented that the family was “extremely relieved” that the best-selling author had been taken off a ventilator and extra oxygen on Saturday and was able to say a few words.

“Following Friday’s attack, the condition of my father remains critical, who is undergoing extensive medical treatment,” he said in a statement posted on Twitter.

“Though his life-changing injuries are serious, his normal spirited and defiant sense of humour is intact,” he told PTI.

New York State Governor Cathy Hochul condemned the “cowardly attack”, saying a person with a knife cannot silence a person with a pen.

Hochul said on Sunday that the investigation into the attack was ongoing and underlined that he and his administration would not tolerate calls for violence, whether from foreign or domestic leaders.

“And there I wish that the man with the knife could not silence the man with the pen… I would also say, tolerance will always win over hate, courage will always prevail over fear, and the pen will always prevail over the knife,” she told the audience. Said with applause.

Hochul expressed his gratitude to the institute’s first responders, staff and crew, and audience members who “saved” Rushdie’s life.

“I could still see the trauma and pain on their faces trying to figure out how there could be something in this place that is known for its healing, its serenity, its harmony. But I I’ll tell you the team that was here on the ground and the EMTs, the firefighters, and those who showed up and literally kept a man alive while they were carrying him did an extraordinary job,” she said.

Hochul said that Rushdie has suffered “a lot in his life” and that all of them are the epitome of “great courage”.

Rushdie’s family also expressed gratitude to members of the audience who bravely jumped to Rushdie’s defense and provided first aid after being stabbed multiple times at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York.

The family thanked the police and doctors for their care. He also expressed his gratitude for “the shower of love and support from all over the world”.

“We ask for continued patience and privacy as the family comes together at their bedside to offer their support and help at this time,” the statement said.

Earlier, Rushdie’s ex-wife and famous TV personality Lakshmi said in a tweet: “Relieved @SalmanRushdie is going through the nightmare of Friday. Worried and wordless, may eventually exhale. Hoping for a speedy recovery now.”

Rushdie and Chennai-born Lakshmi married in 2004 and divorced in 2007. 51-year-old Lakshmi, herself a writer and host of the hit Pak TV show TopChef, was Rushdie’s fourth wife.

The New York Times reported that Rushdie’s agent, Andrew Wylie, said, “The road to recovery has begun. It will be a long time; the injuries are serious, but his condition is heading in the right direction.”

Rushdie, who had faced Islamist death threats for years after writing “The Satanic Verses,” was stabbed on stage Friday by 24-year-old Lebanese-American Hadi Matar, a New Jersey resident, when he was presented was going. At a literary event at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York.

Rushdie was put on a ventilator after being stabbed by Peas. Matar pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempt to murder and assault when he appeared in a brief court on Saturday, where he was denied bail.

Pea was charged with attempted murder and assault by stabbing Rushdie and did not plead his guilt. He made his court appearance, wearing a black and white striped jumpsuit and handcuffs.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt gave details of Rushdie’s injuries in court during Peas’s appearance on Saturday.

According to the county prosecutor, the author’s injuries included three stab wounds to the front right side of his neck, four stab wounds to his abdomen, a puncture wound to his right eye and chest, and a wound to his right thigh.

“It was a targeted, unprovoked, premeditated attack on Mr. Rushdie,” Schmidt alleged.

Schmidt said Pears could face up to 32 years in prison if convicted of both charges.

Rushdie remained in hiding and under police protection for years after the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini imposed a fatwa for his death in retaliation for his 1989 book The Satanic Verses.

Rushdie, the author of 14 novels, was knighted in 2007 for services to literature.

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