The President of the United States, Joe Biden, referred tonight (Saturday night) to the stabbing attack on the writer and author of "The Devil's Verses", Salman Rushdie, but did not refer to the possibility of Iran's involvement in the act or the fact that the attacker was a supporter of the Iranian regime.
More than a day late since the attack occurred, the president said: "Jill and I were shocked and upset when we heard about the vicious attack on Salmana Rushdie yesterday in New York. We, along with all Americans and people around the world, are praying for his health and recovery. I am grateful to the aid teams The first and to the brave people who helped Rushdi by storming the attacker and taking control of him.
"Salman Rushdie, with his insights into humanity; with his unrivaled sense of how to tell a story; with his refusal to succumb to fear and silence - stands at the forefront of essential universal ideals: truth, courage, mental fortitude and the ability to share ideas without fear. These are the building blocks of every open and free society.
"Today we reaffirm our commitment to these deep American values, expressing solidarity with Rushdie and all those who stand at the forefront for freedom of expression," the president added.
As you may remember, the 75-year-old Rushdie, who wrote the book "The Devil's Verses" which infuriated many Muslims in the world because of the way in which the image of the Prophet Muhammad is presented, was stabbed in the neck and stomach last night during a conference in New York.
His health condition is unclear, but it is known that he was operated on yesterday and that he is now connected to a ventilator, according to the writer's agent.
The attacker was identified as Hadi Matar, 24 years old from New Jersey, who has a family with Lebanese roots from the village of Yaron, which is under the administrative responsibility of Bint Jbeil, near the Israeli border in southern Lebanon.
The mayor of Yaron, Ali Tahfa, said that "there is no information at all" when asked if the family had ties to Hezbollah.
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