Rushdie: Freedom of expression under "real assault” worldwide

Freedom of expression is going through one of its most difficult periods in recent decades, and the pressures on the press, writers and artists are no longer specific to authoritarian regimes. The warning comes from British-American novelist of Indian origin Salman Rushdie, who says the phenomenon is manifesting itself "all over the world”, including in the United States, reports Reuters. Rushdie received the Liberatum Cultural Honour last week in London, at a ceremony dedicated to the theme of "Freedom of Expression”. In an interview with Reuters, the writer declared himself surprised by the developments in the United States. "I live in America and I never thought that there would be an assault on freedom of expression there coming from the authorities in the land of the First Amendment,” he said. According to the author, the attacks on journalists, comedians, writers, artists and intellectuals who express different opinions reflect a deterioration in the democratic climate. "It is a fight. But it is a good fight. Many of the books banned from libraries are being challenged in court, and in many cases these efforts are successful,” Rushdie added, quoted by Reuters.

The writer, 79, warned that the situation is not limited to the United States.

"My country of origin is India, and there is also a real assault on freedom of expression there. It is time to prepare to fight for a right that we thought we had won for good. We won it ... but only for a while,” he said.

• Four decades under threat

Rushdie's statements carry special weight, given his personal experience. After the publication of The Satanic Verses in 1988, a book banned in many countries, Iran's then-Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa calling for the writer's death. In 2022, Rushdie was stabbed during a conference at an arts institute in New York State. The attack left him blind in one eye and unable to use one of his hands. However, he says he has resumed his work almost without interruption. "I'm lucky to be okay. It's been almost four years since the attack and I've recovered as much as possible," the author said. Rushdie said he had published three books in the past three years and was already working on a new literary project, which is still in its early stages.

• Award-winning career and passion for football

Booker Prize winner and author of 23 books, including Midnight's Children, The Moor's Last Sigh and Shalimar the Clown, Salman Rushdie is the 14th winner of the Liberatum Cultural Honour, an award given for artistic contributions and the promotion of intercultural dialogue. Previous laureates include architect Zaha Hadid and director Francis Ford Coppola. Beyond literature, Rushdie has also declared his passion for football, stating that he is following the World Cup with great interest. For an author who has lived for almost four decades under the threat of enforced silence, freedom of expression remains more than a constitutional principle.