(New York, N.Y.) — Counter Extremism Project (CEP) CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace released the following statement condemning Hadi Matar’s stabbing of Indian-born British-American author Salman Rushdie this morning while he was lecturing at the Chautauqua Institution in New York.  

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Salman Rushdie and his family today after he suffered a senseless attack on his life. Rushdie is a champion of free speech who has lived under the threat of assassination since the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa against him in 1989. Despite the continuous calls for his execution by the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, Rushdie has refused to be intimidated. His bravery and commitment to his values should be celebrated in this difficult moment.”