1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: Bunjelung Cargoton woman from Gadighal Country. The Daily oz acknowledges 3 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 4 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 5 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,159 Speaker 1: Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present. 7 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily os. It's Tuesday, 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 2: the fourteenth of August. 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 3: I'm Czara, I'm Sam. 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 2: And on today's Deep Dive, we've heard that highly regarded 11 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 2: author Salmon Rashdi will likely lose an eye after he 12 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 2: was viciously attacked at a lecture over the weekend in 13 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 2: New York. He's had three decades with a price on 14 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 2: his head and we will be getting into that in 15 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 2: the Deep Dive. But first Sam, what is making headlines 16 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 2: this morning? 17 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 3: Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison is back in the headlines. 18 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 3: He hasn't been there in a wild Governor jen Rule 19 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 3: David Hurley yesterday confirmed that he signs documents to allow 20 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 3: Morrison to secretly swear himself into additional portfolios. In a statement, 21 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 3: Hurley said the decision whether to publicize appointments to administer 22 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 3: additional portfolios is a matter for the Government of the day. 23 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 2: In an Australian first, Emily Burke has been appointed the 24 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:26,199 Speaker 2: South Australian Assistant Minister for Autism. Burke, who is also 25 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 2: the Assistant Minister to the South Australian Premier, said of 26 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 2: her appointment that it will begin a whole of government 27 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 2: autism inclusion strategy. 28 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 3: To some international news, now and five members of US 29 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 3: Congress have arrived in Taiwan less than a fortnight after 30 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 3: US Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited. In a statement, Taiwan's Foreign 31 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 3: Affairs Ministry thanked the quote like minded delegation for the 32 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 3: timely visit and unwavering support. 33 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 2: And finally, in some good news, the inaugural afl W 34 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 2: clash between Essendon and Hawthorne has been moved and the 35 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 2: reason it has been moved is. 36 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 3: Because tickets sold out so quickly. 37 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 2: So the new venue is Melbourne's Marvel Stadium and that 38 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: has capacity for over fifty thousand ticket holders, which is 39 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: just incredible and breaking news. 40 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: Author Simon Rushti has been attacked while giving a speech 41 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: in Western New. 42 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 3: York witnesses say a man jumped onto the stage just 43 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 3: as the event was getting underway and began punching and 44 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 3: stabbing Rushti. 45 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 2: Sam over the weekend. We were texting on Saturday morning 46 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: and we got news that Salmon Rushti, who is a 47 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: very very well known author and poet, had been attacked 48 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: in New York. And it was really really alarming because 49 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 2: it wasn't clear if he was actually going to make 50 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 2: it now. 51 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 3: Salmon Rushdi is a man whose life has been about 52 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 3: pushing boundaries and standing up for his values even when 53 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 3: it has endangered him. Let's take a step back though, 54 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 3: for those who might not be as familiar with his work. 55 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 3: Who is Salmon Rushdi? Okay? 56 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: So, Salmon Rashti is a celebrated author and a commentator. 57 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: His books often explore themes like religious turmoil, colonialism, and 58 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 2: the immigrant experience. Rushdi was born in India in the 59 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 2: last days of English colonial rule. He grew up in Mumbai, 60 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 2: but he moved to England, where he then attended a 61 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 2: prestigious high school, later going to university at Cambridge. He 62 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: was raised Muslim, but he now describes himself as quote 63 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 2: a hardline atheist, as an adult, he has lived both 64 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: in England and America. He's won a bunch of awards 65 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 2: as well. He won a Booker Prize and he was 66 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 2: also knighted by the Queen in two thousand and seven. 67 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 3: Okay, so we have a prolific writer. But what is 68 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 3: it about this author that made him so controversial? 69 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 2: Okay, So we have to go back to September nineteen 70 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: eighty eight. That is when Salmon Rashdi published his fourth novel. 71 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: It was called The Satanic Verses, and it draws on 72 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 2: the life of the prophet Muhammad, and in part it 73 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 2: is satirical. And this satire was what attracted criticism from 74 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 2: religious leaders and they labeled it as blasphemous. So Rashtu's 75 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 2: book was published in September, and by October of the 76 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 2: same year he already needed a bodyguard. The book was 77 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 2: banned in one Muslim majority country after another, and by December, 78 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: there were thousands of demonstrators in England burning a pile 79 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 2: of his books. In Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, six 80 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 2: people were killed in a mob attack on the US 81 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: Cultural Center, and there were also riots in India. And 82 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 2: all of this stemmed from this Satanic Versus book. 83 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,559 Speaker 3: So that was nineteen eighty eight. We're now thirty four 84 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 3: years later and still talking about it. Yes. 85 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,359 Speaker 2: So one of the reasons tensions about this book have 86 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 2: remained so high for so long is because of a 87 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 2: man called Ayatola Hamiani. 88 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 3: Okay, and pause there, who's he? 89 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 2: He was the religious leader of Iran from nineteen seventy 90 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: nine until his death in nineteen eighty nine, and he 91 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 2: was this incredibly powerful thing. He led the revolution which 92 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 2: overthrew the Shah, who was the previous leader of the country, 93 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 2: and he transformed Iran into the world's first Islamic republic. 94 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,239 Speaker 2: Hamiani was declared Iran's political and religious leader for life, 95 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: and so Iran really changed under him. It became a 96 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 2: place where women had to where vales in public, and 97 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,280 Speaker 2: cultural imports like Western music, books and films were all banned. 98 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 3: So this is obviously not a place where a Salman 99 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 3: Rushdi satirical portrayal of Muhammad is going to be hugely. 100 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 2: Popular, exactly. But it goes one step further than this. 101 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: So Satanic Versus contains a dream sequence which satirizes a 102 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 2: religious leader that was actually based on Homani himself, and 103 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 2: needless to say this did not go down well. In 104 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 2: February of nineteen eighty nine, just five months after the 105 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: book was published, Hamiani issued a fatwa or a religious 106 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 2: decree against Rushti. He put a three million dollar bounty 107 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,160 Speaker 2: on his head, so that's roughly ten million Australian dollars today, 108 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: and called for him to be executed on behalf of 109 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 2: the Iranian government. 110 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 3: He didn't just call for. 111 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 2: Rushdi's execution, but also everyone involved in the book's publication. 112 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 2: Rushdi himself went into hiding and that was assisted by 113 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,799 Speaker 2: the British government and he lived in a fortified safehouse 114 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 2: for most of the next decade. But it should be 115 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 2: said that not everyone related to the book survived what. 116 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 3: Were some of the ripple effects of the book. 117 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 2: So in July nineteen ninety one, the novel's Japanese translator, 118 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 2: Hitoshi Igarashi, was stabbed to death. Later, its Italian translator, 119 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 2: Ettore Capriolo was wounded. In October nineteen ninety three, Norwegian 120 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 2: publisher William Nigard was shot three times and seriously injured. 121 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 3: And is this fatwa still in place today. 122 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: Hamani, the religious leader who issued the fatwah against Rushdi, 123 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 2: died in nineteen eighty nine, as I said, but the 124 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 2: fatwa and the bounty were still upheld until nineteen ninety eight, 125 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 2: when then President Muhammad Khatami said that the country no 126 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 2: longer supported Russa being killed, though it must be said 127 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 2: that there wasn't really a calling off. 128 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 3: Of the fatois either. 129 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 2: Basically the government of the day said they would neither 130 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 2: support nor hinder threats against Rushdi's life, and since then, 131 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 2: Raushdi has re emerged into public life. So he was 132 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 2: in hiding for a period and he since has re emerged. 133 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 3: So he's been part of public life now for two decades. 134 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 3: But he's just been attacked over the weekend. What do 135 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 3: we know about this incident so far? 136 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, So this brings us to this past weekend where 137 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 2: Rushdi was scheduled to speak at the Chautauqua Institution, which 138 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 2: is a not for profit arts and education center in 139 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 2: New York. Rushdi was on stage when he was stabbed 140 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 2: ten to fifteen times by a man dressed in black 141 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 2: and wearing a mask. Luckily, there was a doctor in 142 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 2: attendance who assisted Rushdi until an ambulance arrived and the 143 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 2: attacker was immediately arrested. By police at the event, who 144 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 2: were there as security for Rushdi. The police then held 145 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 2: a press conference to confirm the identity of the. 146 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 3: Attackers has been identified as Haiti Matar, aged twenty four, 147 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 3: from Fairview, New Jersey. So Mataw was arrested soon after. 148 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 3: Where is he now? 149 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 2: He appeared in court on Saturday where he entered a 150 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 2: not guilty plead to charges of attempted murder and assault. 151 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 2: And he's currently being held without bail. 152 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 3: And what about Rushdi? What's the latest on his condition? 153 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 2: Well, as I said, it was fairly tense over the 154 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 2: weekend waiting to hear if he was going to make it, 155 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 2: and it certainly wasn't clear whether or not that would happen. 156 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 2: But by Sunday we had been told that he was 157 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: off the ventilator and on the road to recovery. That said, 158 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 2: Rushdi is likely to lose one eye, the nerves in 159 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 2: his arms were severed, and his liver was stabbed and damaged. 160 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 2: But despite this, Rushdi's son has issued a statement saying 161 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 2: that though his life changing injuries are severe, his usual 162 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 2: feisty and defiant sense of humor remains intact. 163 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 3: We're still waiting to hear what the long term impact 164 00:08:57,640 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 3: will be for the author, Basha. I think it's fair 165 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 3: to say he's lucky to be alive. 166 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's episode. If you did learn 167 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 2: something today, we'd really appreciate if you could give us 168 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,199 Speaker 2: a five star rating. Wherever you do your listening, it 169 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 2: helps new listeners find us. Have a great day and 170 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 2: we will chat to you tomorrow morning.