J.K. Rowling receives threat for supporting Salman Rushdie

Local police are investigating a threat against J.K. Rowling, author of ‘Harry Potter’ that was made after she posted her reaction on social media to the attack on Salaman Rushide. Mr. Rushdie, author of ‘the Satanic Verses,’ has been in critical conditional after an attack against him in New York.

“We have received a report of an online threat being made and officers are carrying out enquiries,” Police Scotland spokesperson said on Sunday.

The threat against Rowling came after she posted “feeling very sick right now. Let him be ok,” in reference to Rushdie being stabbed while he was giving a lecture in upstate New York by a young Lebanese-American male. A Twitter user replied to her post: “Don’t worry you are next.” She shared the screenshots of this threat and asked on tweeter “any chance of some support?” and later added “Police are involved.”

The Twitter account sending the threat message, which was deleted on Sunday morning, is believed to be created from Pakistan. The same account also posted messages praising the man who attacked Rushdie. Rowling also criticized Twitter for failing to take any action against such account saying “Twitter says the account which left the threatening message is not violating any rules after I reported it to them.”

According to media including CNN, Rushdie is now recovering. “He has been taken off the ventilator and is recovering,” said Andrew Wily, agent of Mr. Rushdie. “the injury is serious so it will take time but he is on the right track.” Zafar Rushdie, son of Mr. Rushdie, posted a tweeter about his father’s condition that "Though his life changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty & defiant sense of humor remains intact.”

For 34 years, Salman Rushdie has been receiving constant murder threats after the leadership of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa calling for his death following the publication of his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses,” on the ground that the book described the Prophet Muhammad as weak.


Hyoun-Soo Kim kimhs@donga.com