Iran says Rushdie and supporters to blame for attack
STORY: “We don’t see any other parties who should be blamed or condemned, other than his own person and his supporters," foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told a news briefing, adding "no one has the right to accuse Iran in this regard."
Novelist Rushdie, who has lived under threat for decades since enraging clerical authorities in Iran through his writing, is recovering after being repeatedly stabbed at a public appearance in New York state.
In Iran's first official reaction to Friday's (August 12) attack, Kanaani said freedom of speech did not justify Rushdie's insults against religion. His 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses" is viewed by some Muslims as containing blasphemous passages.
