Salman Rushdie Publishes Memoir 'Knife' Recounting 2022 Attack and Life Under Fatwa

Salman Rushdie, the acclaimed author, has released a memoir titled "Knife" that delves into the chilling attack on his life in 2022 and his experiences living under a fatwa since 1989. The book provides a personal and graphic account of the near-fatal stabbing that took place on August 12, 2022, as Rushdie was delivering a lecture on freedom of speech at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York.

Why this matters: The attack on Salman Rushdie and the subsequent fatwa highlight the ongoing threats to freedom of expression and the dangers faced by artists and writers who challenge religious or political ideologies. The attack on Salman Rushdie and the subsequent fatwa highlight the ongoing threats to freedom of expression and the dangers faced by artists and writers who challenge religious or political ideologies. This incident serves as a vivid illustration of the need to protect and promote free speech, especially in the face of rising intolerance and censorship.

Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old assailant, carried out the attack, leaving Rushdie with life-threatening injuries, including the loss of sight in his right eye and limited movement in one of his hands. In an interview with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly on April 8, 2024, Rushdie revealed a haunting premonition he had two days before the attack, dreaming of being stabbed in an amphitheater. "It was a kind of Roman Empire dream, as if I was in the Colosseum, and it was just somebody with a spear stabbing downwards, and I was rolling around on the floor, trying to get away from him," Rushdie recounted.

"Knife" marks a significant departure from Rushdie's signature imaginative fiction, offering a direct and incisive non-fiction narrative of the aftermath of the attack. Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Rushdie's wife,describedthe distressing scene following his surgery:"He wasn't moving and he was just laid out. He was a different color. He was cold. I mean, his face was stapled — just staples, holding his face together. Griffiths also shared the moving way they communicated in the hospital using a system of toe wiggles when Rushdie was unable to speak.

The 2022 attack occurred more than three decades after the notorious fatwa issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, which forced Rushdie into hiding for ten years. The fatwa was a response to Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses," which some Muslims considered blasphemous because of its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. In recent years, despite the ongoing threat, Rushdie had been living more openly, making his home in New York City.

Initially, writing the memoir was the last thing Rushdie wanted to do, as he grappled with the public's perception of him solely through the lens of the fatwa. "It was very difficult for me, after 'The Satanic Verses' was published, that the only thing anybody knew about me was this death threat," Rushdie admitted. However, he eventually recognized the necessity of telling his story: "But it became clear to me that I couldn't write anything else. I had to write this first...something changed in my head and it then became a book I really very much wanted to write."

In "Knife," Rushdie reflects on the profound impact the attack and the fatwa have had on his life and work, writing,"Living was my victory... but the meaning the knife had given my life was my defeat. The memoir serves as a powerful tribute to Rushdie's resilience and unwavering commitment to freedom of expression in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Rushdie's experiences bear similarities to those of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who has also faced threats to his life and has used his art as a form of political provocation. Both Rushdie and Ai Weiwei stand out for their bravery in the face of immense threats and their use of art as a tool for political commentary and opinion. Although they reside in the West, they continue to draw creative inspiration from their respective countries of origin, India and China.

"Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder" offers an intimate and unflinching look at one of the most horrifying moments in Rushdie's life, a profound meditation on the enduring power of literature in the face of oppression. Through his memoir, Rushdie reclaims his narrative and reaffirms his place as a champion of free speech and artistic expression.

Key Takeaways

• Salman Rushdie releases memoir "Knife" about 2022 attack and living under fatwa since 1989.
• Rushdie was stabbed at a lecture on freedom of speech, leaving him with life-threatening injuries.
• The attack highlights ongoing threats to freedom of expression and artists who challenge ideologies.
• Rushdie's memoir is a personal and graphic account of the attack and its aftermath.
• The book is a powerful tribute to Rushdie's resilience and commitment to free speech.