French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his solidarity with writer Salman Rushdie, who was stabbed while preparing to give a lecture in New York State, stressing: “Today we are with him more than ever.”
Macron tweeted Friday night: “For 33 years, Salman Rushdie has embodied freedom and the fight against obscurantism. His struggle is our struggle, the global struggle. Today we support him more than ever.”
For 33 years, Salman Rushdie has personified freedom and the fight against obscurantism. He had just been the victim of a cowardly attack by the forces of hatred and barbarism. His battle is our battle; it’s universal. Now, more than ever, we stand by his side.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 12, 2022
Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne and many other ministers have tweeted messages of solidarity with the British writer.
Foreign Minister Katherine Colonna stressed that “the attack on Salman Rushdie is a dastardly act… Freedom of conscience and expression is essential against intolerance.”
Culture Minister Rima Abdel-Malik condemned the “barbaric act”, praising “33 years of courage”.
National Education Minister Bab Ndiaye also praised the writer, who is “a symbol of freedom and erudition that no obscurantism … can stop.”
Rushdie, whose Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa for his novel The Satanic Verses in 1989, underwent emergency surgery after being stabbed in the neck during a conference in western New York. was wearing a respirator.
Source: AFP.