In New York, a famous writer was stabbed right during a lecture

Writer Salman Rushdie, whose work sparked death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was stabbed on Aug. 12 as he was about to give a lecture in New York. Writes about it CBS News.

Rushdie "was stabbed in the neck and was flown by helicopter to the hospital," the state police said in a statement.

The suspect was detained by law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene.

An Associated Press reporter witnessed a man break into the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and attack Rushdie. The 75-year-old writer fell to the floor after being hit, and the man was grabbed.

Rushdie was quickly surrounded by a small group of people who raised his legs, presumably to pump more blood to his chest.

Rushdie's condition has not yet been reported.

The suspect also attacked the interviewer, who suffered a minor head injury.

"Our thoughts are with Salman and his loved ones following this horrific event," New York Gov. Kathy Hokul wrote after the attack.

On the subject: Iran threatens to quickly develop nuclear missiles and turn New York into 'hellish ruins'

Rushdie attended the event to discuss the theme "The United States as a haven for writers and other artists in exile and as a home for artistic freedom."

“We are dealing with an emergency. I am unable to provide any details at this time," a spokesman for the Chautauqua Institution said.

Rushdie's The Satanic Verses has been banned in Iran since 1988 because many Muslims consider it blasphemous. A year later, the late leader of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa (decree) calling for the assassination of Rushdie.

The Iranian government has long distanced itself from Khomeini's decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment has persisted. In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation increased Rushdie's bounty from $2,8 million to $3,3 million.

At the time, Rushdie dismissed this threat and stated that there was "no evidence" that people were interested in the award. In the same year, Rushdie published his memoir "Joseph Anton" about his experience of living under a fatwa.

In 2015, Rushdie spoke about the murder of 12 people in the Parisian satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, stating that the right to free speech is absolute or indivisible.

"Both John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela use the same phrase, which I think says it all: 'Freedom is indivisible,'" he said. “You can't cut it, otherwise it will cease to be freedom. You may not like Charlie Hebdo, but the fact that you don't like them has nothing to do with their right to speak."