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He also slammed “those who exercise authoritarian power”.
The sense of danger in the United States has spread far beyond isolated incidents, according to novelist Salman Rushdie, who knows the cost of violence firsthand.
Speaking to AFP at the Sundance Film Festival, the writer reflected on what he sees as a troubling shift in American society.
The 78-year-old British-American author said violence now feels close to home for many Americans. “I think everyone is in danger now,” Rushdie said.
He added that “the idea of danger and violence is now close to everyone in this country.”
Culture under threat
Describing the violence as part of “something bigger,” Rushdie criticized what he called attacks driven by manipulation and ignorance.
“For those who exercise authoritarian power, culture is the enemy,” he told AFP.
He pointed to journalism, universities, music and literature as frequent targets, adding that “the uncultured, the ignorant and the radicals don’t like it and take action against it.”
Attack and aftermath
Rushdie was attending the premiere of Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie, a documentary adapted from his memoir Knife. The book recounts the August 2022 knife attack during a literary event that left him blind in one eye.
The assailant, who accused Rushdie of “attacking Islam,” was inspired by the author’s novel The Satanic Verses, which led Iranian authorities to issue a death sentence against Rushdie in 1989.
The attacker was sentenced last year in the United States to 25 years in prison.
Rushdie said the attack against him should not be seen in isolation. For him, it reflects a broader pattern of hostility toward culture and free expression.
Rushdie noted that Knife was not meant as a direct response to current politics. Still, he acknowledged its timing.
The Sundance Film Festival runs until February 1.
Sources: AFP, Agerpres, France24
