'Salman Rushdie now no more than living dead': Iran to reward attacker with 1,000 square metres land

An Iranian foundation has lauded the man who attacked writer Salman Rushdie last year, seriously injuring him, and announced that it will reward him with 1,000 square metres of agricultural land, according to state TV on Tuesday through its Telegram channel.After being attacked by a Shi'ite Muslim American from New Jersey, 24, on the stage of a literary eventin western New York in August near Lake Erie, Rushdie, 75, lost an eye and the use of one hand, as reported by AFP.

"We sincerely thank the brave action of the young American who made Muslims happy by blinding one of Rushdie's eyes and disabling one of his hands," said Mohammad Esmail Zarei, secretary of the Foundation to Implement Imam Khomeini's Fatwas.

"Rushdie is now no more than living dead and to honour this brave action, about 1,000 square metres of agricultural land will be donated to the person or any of his legal representatives," Zarei added.

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The attack occurred 33 years to the day after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of Iran at the time, called on Muslims to assassinate Rushdie a few months after the publication of "The Satanic Verses" in a religious decree known as a fatwa. For some Muslims, the novel's references to the Prophet Muhammad were blasphemous.

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With a bounty on his head, Rushdie spent nine years in hiding under the protection of the British police.

(With inputs from agencies)

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