“I have never disowned ‘The Satanic Verses,’ nor regretted writing it. In a visit to Columbia University in 1991, Rushdie spoke about freedom of speech and explained how he was sorry for offending people but does not regret writing the novel. Rushdie was given protection by the British government, which included round-the-clock security as he went into hiding for nearly a decade while living under the pseudonym Joseph Anton. While Iran’s Khomeini died the same year the fatwa was issued, the current leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has not rescinded it, leaving the ruling in effect. WHERE HAS RUSHDIE BEEN SINCE THE FATWA WAS ISSUED? William Nygaard, the publisher of the book, was also shot three times in 1993 but he also managed to survive the assassination attempt. Amid the fatwa, a Japanese translator of the book was stabbed and killed in 1991 and an Italian translator was also stabbed but survived. In 1989, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, a religious ruling calling for the execution of Rushdie and the publishers of the book which included a bounty of US$3 million. Shortly after being published, the book was burned and banned in several Muslim countries including India, Pakistan and Iran following major protests across the world leaving 45 people dead including 12 in the author's hometown of Mumbai. According to the book's synopsis, the first act of the story follows “two Indian actors of opposing sensibilities fall to earth, transformed into living symbols of what is angelic and evil” after a terrorist bombing of a London-bound jet. In 1988, his novel “The Satanic Verses” came under scrutiny from the Muslim community as many considered it to be blasphemous for the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING 'THE SATANIC VERSES' Rushdie moved to England at the age of 14 and has since received multiple global literary awards, including Britain’s Booker Prize award in 1981 for his novel “Midnight’s Children.” Additionally, in 2007, Rushdie was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his literary contributions. Salman Rushdie is an award-winning author of thirteen novels, often depicting stories in the style of magic realism. The 75-year-old has faced decades of death threats, including a government-issued bounty in Iran of US$3 million calling for his execution over his 1988 book “The Satanic Verses.” His attacker, identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar, caused severe damage to Rushdie's liver and his agent said he is likely to lose an eye over suffering nerve damage. Indian-born novelist Salman Rushdie, author of the both praised and criticized “The Satanic Verses,” remains in hospital after being stabbed at an appearance at the Chautauqua Institution in New York on Friday.

Rushdie memoir