“He was able to talk” .. BBC: Salman Rushdie removed the ventilator

The ventilator was removed from the British novelist Salman Rushdie and he was able to speak, a day after the stabbing incident, according to the BBC Arabic website.

The 75-year-old writer was attacked while speaking at a seminar in New York and was in critical condition.

His agent, Andrew Wylie, confirmed the news to the American media, but earlier stated that Rushdie might lose one of his eyes.

The man accused of the attack pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder on Saturday and was remanded in custody without bail.

Immediately after he was attacked on the platform of a cultural center in Chautauqua, northwest New York, Rushdie was taken by helicopter to the nearest hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery, his agent said on Twitter, promising to provide regular information about the health status of the 75-year-old novelist who has lived in New York since many years.

Carl Levan, a political science professor who was in the hall, told AFP that a man rushed to the podium where Rushdie was sitting and “stabbed him violently several times.” The witness said that the attacker “tried to kill Salman Rushdie“.

Police identified the suspect as Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairfield, New Jersey.

Hadi Matar, 24, was accused of storming the podium and stabbing Rushdie ten times in the face, neck and abdomen. After the attack, Willy said Rushdie had suffered a nerve cut in his arm, damage to his liver, and likely to lose an eye..

Many writers and scholars tweeted on social media, expressing relief to learn that the novelist is now able to speak.

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