Salman Rushdie: publishing The Satanic Verses would be more dangerous now - UnHerd

The initial publication of his famous novel resulted in a fatwa from Iran calling for the British author's execution. His Japanese translator was murdered in 1991, while several other figures associated with the book's publication were attacked in the following years. Most recently, in 2022, an assailant stabbed Rushdie multiple times, blinding him in one eye.

During today's speech at Vanderbilt University's Global Free Speech Summit in Nashville, Rushdie - who was appearing remotely - said social media and changing attitudes about censorship among young people make the current climate more hostile to free speech. While he believed the publication process would have been similar now, he said the consequences of publication would be more grave.