Iran has sought to distance itself from the attack on author Sir Salman Rushdie as the suspect accused of repeatedly stabbing him was disowned by his mother.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said that Sir Salman, attacked in New York state on Friday night as he prepared to deliver a lecture on freedom of expression, had nobody to blame but himself.
“Salman Rushdie and his supporters are to blame for what happened to him,” he said. “Freedom of speech does not justify Salman Rushdie’s insults upon religion and offence of its sanctities.”
A fatwa, or religious edict, calling on Muslims to kill the author was issued by Ayatollah Khomeini, the then Iranian leader, in 1989 – a year after Satanic Versus was published. It was never revoked.
Sir Salman remains in a serious condition in hospital but it on the “road to recovery”, his agent said yesterday.
Hadi Matar, 24, pled not guilty to attempted murder on Saturday. Silvana Fardos, his mother, said he “responsible for his actions”.
