( Fox )
Novelist Salman Rushdie was stabbed before giving a speech in Chautauqua, New York on Friday.
An Associated Press reporter witnessed a man storm the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and begin punching or stabbing Rushdie as he was being introduced. The author was taken or fell to the floor, and the man was restrained.
In a press release, the New York State Police confirmed that a man rushed the stage and stabbed Rushdie in the neck.
"Rushdie suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck, and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital," the press release said. "His condition is not yet known. The interviewer suffered a minor head injury. A State Trooper assigned to the event immediately took the suspect into custody. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a press conference that the state trooper involved "stood up and saved" Rushdie's life.
Rushdie’s book "The Satanic Verses" has been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous. A year later, Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death.
Iran has also offered over $3 million in reward for anyone who kills Rushdie.
Iran’s government has long since distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment lingered. In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation raised the bounty for Rushdie from $2.8 million to $3.3 million.
Rushdie dismissed that threat at the time, saying there was "no evidence" of people being interested in the reward.
That year, Rushdie published a memoir, "Joseph Anton," about the fatwa.
The Chautauqua Institution is a performing arts center and community from June through September that hosts major artists and celebrities like Rushdie related to the fields of visual arts, dance, theater, and music.
It is an exclusive institution near Buffalo, New York that carries entry fees ranging from $200-$2,600.