JK Rowling Received A Death Threat After Another Prominent Author Was Stabbed
Following the attack on Salman Rushdie, J.K. Rowling has also received a possible death threat on Twitter. An investigation is underway
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Although J.K. Rowling is often the target of social media backlash due to her Tweets about trans rights, she was recently sent a public death threat on the platform after expressing her support for Salman Rushdie. There was an attempt on Rushdie’s life, leading Rowling to Tweet “Horrifying news. Feeling very sick right now. Let him be ok.” A Twitter user by the name of Meer Asif Aziz responded with “Don’t worry you are next.” Rowling has recently asked Twitter’s support team to help with the matter. See her Tweet below:
J.K. Rowling’s support for Salman Rushdie comes after the novelist was stabbed multiple times at a conference in Buffalo, New York. Rushdie was flown to a hospital following the incident. The latest report from Rushdie’s son Zafar says that he is off of his ventilator and was able to speak a few words, but he is still in critical condition. Rushdie could also lose an eye as a result of the attack. Reportedly the attack has left him with nerve damage in his arm and he has suffered harm to his liver. Rushdie was attending the conference to give a talk about free speech when he was attacked. The man who has been arrested in Hadi Matar, who Meer Asif Aziz referred to as a “revolutionary Shia fighter,” in previous Tweets.
Salman Rushdie is best known for his books The Satanic Verses and Midnight’s Children. The former is banned in Iran and has been since 1988, due to the book being labeled blasphemous. In the late 1980s, a fatwa was ordered against Rushdie by Ayatollah Khomeini, calling for his death. This wouldn’t be the first attempt on Rushdie’s life, as a bomb prematurely exploded in 1989 when there was a failed assassination attempt directed at Rushdie. In 2012, the bounty against Rushdie was raised to $3.3 million. Hopefully, J.K. Rowling’s support for Rushdie in his time of recovery won’t lead to additional threats of violence.
Following J.K. Rowling’s Tweets, Scotland police have started an investigation in response. Warner Bros Discovery also released a statement of their own, condemning the threats made against the author and stating their support for authors, storytellers, and creatives. Warner Bros Discovery is the company behind the film adaptations of Rowling’s Harry Potter series, as well as the latest Harry Potter films in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise. Though Rowling is receiving support from the police and Warner Bros Discovery, it seems like Twitter remains unresponsive. According to Rowling, Twitter responded that there were no violations of their rules in the content she reported. Twitter has yet to officially comment on the issue.
The good news out of all this is that it seems like Salman Rushdie is pulling through after his attack. It remains to be seen if there anything will change on the issues between J.K. Rowling and Twitter. Along with Rowling, fellow authors like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King have also expressed their support for Rushdie. Meanwhile, Hadi Matar has been charged with attempted murder and assault in the second degree. Matar pleaded not guilty on Saturday and has refused bail and his next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.
