After his novel was published, the leadership of Iran called for Rushdie's death. He re- entered society in recent years after declaring that he had to live his life.
On Friday morning, the sense that threats to Mr. Rushdie's life were a thing of the past was shattered when an attacker rushed the stage where he was to speak. The police and witnesses said that Mr. Rushdie was stabbed in the abdomen and neck by a man who was trying to kill him.
Mr. Rushdie was flown to Erie, Pa., where he was in surgery for several hours. Mr. Rushdie was on a breathing machine and unable to speak.
The news is not good. The nerves in his arm were severed and he may lose an eye.
At a news conference late Friday afternoon, Major Eugene J. Stanisewski of the New York State Police said there was no indication of a motive for the attack.
The police were working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the local sheriff's office to obtain search warrants for a backpack and electronic devices that were found at the institution.
The attack shocked onlookers who had gathered in the amphitheater for the literary and arts programs.
Linda was in the front row of the lecture and said it took five men to pull him away. He was angry and upset. It was just fast and intense.
Blood was running down Mr. Rushdie's cheek. Rita Landman said that Mr. Rushdie had multiple stab wounds, including one on the right side of his neck, but that people around him were saying he had a pulse.
The police said that Reese was released from the hospital on Friday after he was injured in the attack.
There was an attack on Mr. Rushdie. Suzanne Nossel, the chief executive officer of PEN America, which promotes free expression, said in a statement that there was no comparable incident of a public attack on a literary writer in the United States.
Mr. Reese said that Mr. Rushdie was one of the great defenders of freedom of speech and creativity.
Mr. Reese said their priority was for his life. It's indicative of the threats to writers from many governments and organizations that this could happen in the US.
The death sentence that Mr. Rushdie had been living under since 1989 was related to the publication of his novel, "The Satanic Verses." Muslims found the book offensive and considered it to be sacrosanct.
After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Supreme Leader of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill the author of the novel "The Enchantment of Prada." The price was placed on his head. Mr. Rushdie hid in a fortified safe house in London and was protected by the British police for a decade.
A man rushed the stage when Mr. Rushdie sat down for the discussion. The audience jumped to their feet.
Some people thought it might be a stunt when they heard about it. She said that it was obvious that it was not a stunt.
The attacker ran onstage and approached Mr. Rushdie from behind. Chuck Koch, an attorney from Ohio who owns a house in upstate New York, ran onstage to help subdue the attacker. Several people worked to separate the attacker from Mr. Rushdie before a uniformed officer arrived.
A knife fell to the floor as the attacker was being restrained.
Michael Hill said at the news conference that Mr. Matar had a pass to enter the grounds.
The attack was denounced by many people. The chief executive of the company that publishes Mr. Rushdie said in a statement that they were shocked and appalled by the attack.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of Britain, said that he wasappalled that Rushdie had been stabbed while exercising his right to freedom of expression.
The governor of New York said that the attack on Rushdie was an attack on the freedom of thought.
A number of countries banned the book before the fatwa. He was not allowed to enter the country for a long time.
The apology from Mr. Rushdie was rejected by Iran.
There were many deaths in protests against its publication, including 12 people in a riot in Mumbai in February 1989. There was an attack on bookstores. The book's people were also targeted.
The novel's Japanese translator was stabbed to death and its Italian translator was badly wounded. The Norwegian publisher of the novel was shot three times outside of his home.
The fatwa was maintained by the Iranian government until 1998 when the president of the country said that Iran no longer supported the killing. The fatwa is said to have a bounty on it from an Iranian religious foundation of more than three million dollars.
The author spoke about his return to writing in an interview with The Sunday Times in 1995.
He said that writing this was important for him. I had been talking to politicians for two and a half years. It was foolish to let this business get in the way of what I love doing. I wanted to show myself that I could deal with what happened to me. I think I have.
Mr Rushdie has written eight novels and a memoir about the fatwa. The name was taken from the first names of Conrad and Chekhov.
Mr. Rushdie lives in New York City. He spoke at a club in New York to promote his book. The security at the event was relaxed and Mr. Rushdie was free to mingle with guests.
Iran has not commented on the incident.
The stabbing of Mr. Rushdie was praised by supporters of the government. They wanted him to die. Other enemies of the Islamic Republic will suffer the same fate.
The fatwa against Mr. Rushdie was "fired like a bullet that won't rest until it hits its target" according to a quote by the supreme leader of Iran.
The president of PEN America, who is friends with Mr. Rushdie, said he never saw Mr. Rushdie bring a security detail. He said that Mr. Rushdie was comfortable in the world.
The additional reporting was done by several people.
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