Salman Rushdie recovering; off ventilator

“Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie, who was attacked with a knife on Friday during a lecture is recovering and is off the ventilator.

Rushdie, 75, was stabbed with a knife multiple times onstage ahead of a lecture at Chautauqua Institution, according to the New York State Police. Rushdie was quickly airlifted to the nearest hospital in Northwest Pennsylvania where he underwent a successful surgery.

The author’s liver, nerves of an arm and eye were damaged. Health experts believe he will lose the damage eye.

The suspect was identified as 24-year-old Had Matar who pleaded not guilty to 2nd-degree attempted murder and assault charges.

Matar is being held without bail after District Attorney Jason Schmidt told the Judge that Matar’s actions were pre-planned as he got an advance pass to the event and arrived a day earlier with a fake ID.

Rushdie, for over 30 years has faced death threats for “The Satanic Verses.”

World leaders have reacted to this attack by calling it shocking and an attack on free speech. Rushdie had a bounty of over $3 million on his head placed by Iran. People are questioning why he wasn’t given tight security – a state trooper and county sheriffs deputy were assigned to him for the lecture.

Matar was born in the US to parents of Lebanese descent, according to the AP.