August 12, 2022

"There was just one attacker. He was dressed in black. He had a loose black garment on. He ran with lightning speed over to him."

Said Elisabeth Healey, 75, an audience member, quoted in "Salman Rushdie Is Attacked Onstage in Western New York/The author was set to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution when an assailant rushed at him" (NYT).

79 comments:

Michael K said...

More workplace violence.

Lyle said...

Totally forgot about Fatwas. That said, if the US government kills Iranian leaders or Al Qaeda leaders, we should expect them to kill Americans back. Fair is fair.

madAsHell said...

The NYT paywall forced me to find another source for the Salman Rushdie article.

To my surprise, the first article up was from AOL.com. I did not know AOL was still a thing.

The Vault Dweller said...

I heard a report of this event describing people sopping up blood with towels. I hope he survives.

Narr said...

Chautauqua's still around? Who knew?

How the mighty have fallen.

Drago said...

Uh oh.

If this turns out to be what we all think it is (fatwa retribution), then stand by for an immediate Inga attack on US republican Christians.

As inevitable as night follows day.

Vance said...

Democrat approved! how dare anyone offend our closest ally Iran!

TheOne Who Is Not Obeyed said...

The Iranians are getting frisky on Biden's watch. Anyone surprised?

wendybar said...

My Niece works there as a dance instructor. She also sells her flowers at the Farmers Market there. Scary.

Ann Althouse said...

I says he was stabbed in the neck and lying in a pool of blood.

Ann Althouse said...

It says

MadisonMan said...

I'm hoping Rushdie survives. I suspect the story of the suspect will be buried.

Drago said...

TheOne Who Is Not Obeyed: "The Iranians are getting frisky on Biden's watch. Anyone surprised?"

I guarantee you the New Soviet Democraticals will lay this at Trump's feet before the sun sets and will be calling for a Special Prosecutor to root out all the "evidence" that must, MUST(!) exist though there is zero indication this is a valid theory......or even sane.

FullMoon said...

Curd Your Enthusiasm had an episode ridiculing the Rushdie fatwa. Made it seem inconsequential and actually attractive to women. Rushdie himself acted in the episode.

Wonder if the assassin was bothered by that.

SDaly said...

Merrick Garland personally signed the stab-approval order.

gilbar said...

Islam.. The religion of Submission

tim in vermont said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wendybar said...

Obama's buddies in Iran?? Or his FBI?? Who knows at this point, but since conspiracy theories are popular again....I'm blaming Obama for this one.

gilbar said...

The telegraph says stabbing Rushdie "10 to 15 times", the attacker is in custody
Can we ASSUME, that there will be NO cash bail?

rhhardin said...

It's either woke or Iranian.

Narr said...

I didn't know he had been wounded. That's shitty.

Religion of Peace again, huh?

traditionalguy said...

Mohammed’s guys always go for the neck with a knife to decapitate the head that spoke blasphemy. It’s the religion’s ritual. For centuries the Mohammedan expansion has been called the Religion of the Sword: Convert or be beheaded. Not exactly Billy Graham’s method of evangelism, but highly effective.

gilbar said...

Governor Kathy Hochul says THIS is how we prevent Gun Violence!

Actually, she says a bunch of nothing of nothing, but she says it from a podium that says on it:
PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE
PROTECTING NEW YORKERS

so, presumably, this attack did both

Ice Nine said...

We always knew some Muz nutter would eventually get him, didn't we? I certainly did and said it over the years: That man is ultimately doomed.

There are hundreds of millions of Muslims that knew of the fatwa; there are tens of millions of those who didn't know that the fatwa was lifted - or didn't care; there are millions of those, even today, who would love to kill him and get Allah's blessing...and that juicy boatload of virgins in Paradise; and of those there are probably a thousand or so who have made it their goal in life to kill him. One of them finally got through his security today.

The reports describe a neck wound and blood on the wall. That means a carotid artery bleed - a really, really not good thing. I do hope there were some paramedics nearby to rapidly compress the bleeder, get his airway secured, and get some IV fluids pouring into him because that's what it takes to not die quickly from such an injury.

Joe Smith said...

There was a Twitter video of a guy (in Australia maybe?) who got into a street tussle with another guy who stabbed him in the neck.

One quick jab.

The guy who got stabbed stood there for a few seconds trying to stop the bleeding and then just dropped dead.

Obviously hit an artery.

Took less than 10 seconds...

Michael K said...

No mention of the attacker in the LA Times. Another one of those "SUV drove through a crowd." stories.

EdwdLny said...

Example number 8 bajillion that Islam is not compatible with a free society. Nor is it a " religion " of piece. It is a cult of hatred, misogyny, antisemitism, anti-freedom, and homophobia, to start.
To think, traitor joey bidet wants to turn the Iranian mullahs loose with nukes. What a f***ing moronic idiot. As well those around him. Geez.

Drago said...

Oh how the democraticals laughed and laughed when Lee Zeldin was attacked by a knife-wielding democratical.

Rabel said...

"Curd Your Enthusiasm" would be a great name for an Althouse podcast.

Clyde said...

That’s what you call pointed criticism.

Clyde said...

Apparently there’s no statute of limitations on fatwas.

Drago said...

I couldn't see the red MAGA hat, noose or bleach at all in the video. But I'm pretty sure there was a subway sandwich on the floor.

Tom T. said...

Rushdie has had to live in fear for decades. I can't imagine what that's been like.

Jupiter said...

Not to worry, the assailant was known to the FBI. In fact, they provided the knife, and a couple of them drove him there.

tommyesq said...

We may never know the true motive...

DanTheMan said...

I blame the extremists at the National Knife Association.

Howard said...

Soon, Drago and his Reagan Army will demand the US sell the Iranians missiles in the hope that the mad mullahs will lift the phatwa.

guitar joe said...

"That said, if the US government kills Iranian leaders or Al Qaeda leaders, we should expect them to kill Americans back." Lives in the US, but I think he's still a Brit.

Readering said...

AA Comments getting sad.

Buckwheathikes said...

Breaking: "Some people did some more things." - US Congressman and Domestic Terror Apologist Illhan Omar

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

And still Brandon is rushing towards a "deal" with Iran that nobody in America wants, knowing this guy and assassins for Bolton are on the loose. If Joe were a commie double agent what would he do differently?

Nothing.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Been to The Institute several times, can't believe this failure of security. Whatta blemish on The Institute. Sad.

Ted said...

I wonder if Infiniti now regrets that recent commercial featuring Cat Stevens singing "Wild World"?

BUMBLE BEE said...

Embarrassing for America as well. We'll be seeing lots more thanks to Joey Biden.

n.n said...

Black. Black. Forward. Was diversity [dogma] (e.g. class-based bigotry) a motive?

Sebastian said...

So Rushdie got stabbed. What we should be worried about is the backlash against Muslims. How will this fuel islamophobia?

gilbar said...

BUMBLE BEE said...
can't believe this failure of security. Whatta blemish on The Institute. Sad.

Why was the ALLOWED to happen? WHY weren't there signs posted, saying "NO KNIFE ZONE"
???

As We ALL Know,
No one can (legally) violate posted signs. These Signs Save Lives (if people aren't criminals)

gilbar said...

The telegraph says stabbing Rushdie "10 to 15 times"

DanTheMan said...
I blame the extremists at the National Knife Association.

NO Sportsman Needs these High Capacity Cutting devices!!!
Knife Control NOW!!!

Michael K said...


Blogger Readering said...

AA Comments getting sad.


Whereas your life is just getting better with gas at $4 and Iran giving us such delightful immigrants. Of course he could be an Afghan flown here courtesy of Brandon.

Marc in Eugene said...

I don't know what level of security Sir Salman has been expecting to have these days: maybe not much? maybe none, in certain situations? Unless you know the answer to these questions (which knowledge I'm not going to attribute to the waiter? the NYT quoted), it's pointless to accuse the Chautauqua folks of some lapse.

MalaiseLongue said...

The attacker is said to have been wearing a "loose black garment." Obviously a Roman Catholic nun of the Ursuline order. They used to stop at rapping knuckles with a ruler.

Andrew said...

I sincerely wish Trump were president right now. This is the kind of thing he would handle well, without BS political correctness or concern about rhetorical niceties. Iran might even be afraid of what comes next. Not so with the decrepit carcass and the laughing hyena.

Wince said...

Drago said...
Oh how the democraticals laughed and laughed when Lee Zeldin was attacked by a knife-wielding democratical.

And Zeldin had the instinct to protect his neck/throat.

Lurker21 said...

Not so surprising for New York City. Very surprising for Chautauqua. And of course, Chautauqua was once famous for its summer adult education lectures (started by the Methodists). Once upon a time, everybody who was anybody in America showed up there. Ulysses Grant, Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, Robert LaFollette, Booker T. Washington, Carry Nation ...

Earnest Prole said...

Remember the new rules: Words are violence, violence is speech.

Rollo said...

I hope he's alright. I didn't really get his work, though. I didn't know enough about India to appreciate his first book, and I don't think he had much to say about the UK or the US in the later ones.

Leland said...

Is this being covered as a hate crime?

Craig Howard said...

can't believe this failure of security

After 150 odd years of nothing violent happening, security will become a bit more lax.

PM said...

Rushdie Attack by Knife-Wielding Man Reminiscent of Trump-Orchestrated Jan 6 Violence

tim in vermont said...

Remember a couple months ago when Iran attacked one of our consulates with a missile and we pretended it didn’t happen? If this guy walked in from Mexico, look for the story to get completely shut down and any mention of it be declared disinformation

Kevin said...

How did this happen without a gun?

J L Oliver said...

As a student, I cleaned and painted bathrooms in that hall. Very laidback environment. So shocking.

Gospace said...

Lots of Amish and Mennonites in the Chautauqua area. Many who dress all in black. Dangerous people they, all of them, living among us, many speaking Plattdeutsch when us English, as they call us, are around so we can’t understand their nefarious mutterings.

Achilles said...

Readering said...

AA Comments getting sad.

Readering is sad that nobody likes the constant political violence of her side and her political allies.

Michael said...

The picture of the attacker makes him appear somewhat middle eastern. Could it be?

Dave64 said...

It took a while, but it seems the Religion of Peace™ has finally prevailed.

Michael said...

Hadi Matar Irish?

Gospace said...

Had I Matar, age 24, sympathetic to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Not even born when the fatwa against Salman Rushdie was first issued.

Likely born into the Religion of Peace ™, not a convert.

Conveniently from NJ in all the news articles. Unanswered and worth knowing- born here of immigrants, or one himself. Islam is dangerous. A totalitarian intolerant political system masquerading as a religion. The Naturalization Act of 1790 was ahead of it’s time in banning muslims from immigrating.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

#DontSayMuslim

Dr Weevil said...

Two thoughts:

1. What the Federal government needs to do now is to make absolutely sure that if the Iranian mullahs try to pay this guy the $3.3 million reward for killing Rushdie - or some part of it, if Rushdie survives - that neither the stabber nor any of his family or friends ever get a damned penny of it. If the Feds can get hold of any of the money, they need to spend it supporting democracy in Iran and the overthrow of the murderous mullahs.

2. What the Governor of New York needs to do now is propose a bill to restore the death penalty. It's unfortunate that it can't be used retroactively, but the next person in the state who (a) kills ten people in a grocery store for stupid racial reasons, or (b) tries to stab a gubernatorial candidate for stupid political reasons, or (c) tries to kill a distinguished author (and may succeed: we don't know yet) for stupid religious reasons, needs to face the possibility of execution. The death penalty may shock the consciense, but it doesn't shock a normal person's conscience anywhere near as much as seeing murderers living comfortably in prisons better furnished than most place I've ever lived, even after cold-bloodedly slaughtering (e.g.) 70+ teenagers in Norway, or 50 mosque-goers in New Zealand, or 6 in a Christmas parade in Wisconsin, and so on and on and on.

William said...

I never read anything by Rushdie, but I admire his courage. He's lived a good chunk of his life with just such a threat always in the wings. Cowards and men of imagination die a thousand deaths. Living in a state of constant apprehension must be wearing....He was always outspoken in the need for free speech. He claimed it was out most important right. Well, within limits. I don't recall him ever speaking up for climate change or vaccine skeptics, but free speech mostly applies to criticism of religion.

Ambrose said...

There should be serious repercussions to Iran. Imagine if the French had sent assassins to London in the 16th Century to kill Shakespeare. Those Brits would not have taken it sitting down.

Andrew said...

Serious question: Has anyone here read The Satanic Verses? Putting aside all the politics, was it any good?

DLH said...

I remember as a 14 year old reading about Bono bringing him onstage during the Zoo Tv tour in England. Apparently his first public appearance after the “fatwa” was in place. Didn’t know what that meant but knew Achtung Baby was awesome so I thought it was cool.

Rollo said...

30 years. I would have thought they would have forgotten by now. Our own young people's ignorance of the past may not be such a bad thing.

hawkeyedjb said...

You will know the attacker was Muslim when this story completely disappears in two days.

Josephbleau said...

Remember when Cat Stevens was interviewed as the Muslim Useff and said that if he saw Salman R he would not kill him, but would let his islamabros know where he was according to the Fatuah.

Drago said...

Howard: "Soon, Drago and his Reagan Army will demand the US sell the Iranians missiles in the hope that the mad mullahs will lift the phatwa."

I am guessing it took 4 Democratical Moron Magic 8-Ball's to generate this random disconnected comment.

Mr. T. said...

Call up the AAUP and see which of them attacked Rushdie- they do love them some terrorism.

The SPLC provided the map.