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vivienong 's review for:
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder
by Salman Rushdie
I remember vaguely reading about the fatwa ordered against Salman Rushdie years ago and genuinely thinking “ah he’s gonna be fine.” As we know now, he was far from being fine… having been brutally stabbed in August of 2022, THIRTY years after the fatwa was first issued. This memoir is raw, vulnerable, even had laugh out loud moments. With immense strength, he never allows himself to be reduced solely into victimhood despite his near-death experience. Instead Rushdie reclaims power and even alters the power dynamic between himself and his assailant through their face-to-face conversations. I found myself in awe at his indomitable spirit and truly admire him greatly for walking his talk.
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“One has to find life, I said. One can’t just sit about recovering from near death. One has to find life.” On reclaiming his life back.
“What can’t be cured must be endured.” Of losing his eye in the attack.
”Don’t give him so much power, Suzanne. We aren’t so easily shattered. Don’t make him sound like an angel of doom. He’s just a dumb clown who got lucky.”
“When the faithful believe that what they believe must be forced upon others who do not believe it, or when they believe that nonbelievers should be prevented from the robust or humorous expression of their nonbelief, then there’s a problem.” On religious fanaticism
“I don’t forgive you. I don’t not forgive you. You are simply irrelevant to me. And from now on, for the rest of your days, you will be irrelevant to everyone else. I’m glad I have my life, and not yours. And my life will go on.” — Salman Rushdie’s last words to his assailant on their last visit after his recovery.
==========
“One has to find life, I said. One can’t just sit about recovering from near death. One has to find life.” On reclaiming his life back.
“What can’t be cured must be endured.” Of losing his eye in the attack.
”Don’t give him so much power, Suzanne. We aren’t so easily shattered. Don’t make him sound like an angel of doom. He’s just a dumb clown who got lucky.”
“When the faithful believe that what they believe must be forced upon others who do not believe it, or when they believe that nonbelievers should be prevented from the robust or humorous expression of their nonbelief, then there’s a problem.” On religious fanaticism
“I don’t forgive you. I don’t not forgive you. You are simply irrelevant to me. And from now on, for the rest of your days, you will be irrelevant to everyone else. I’m glad I have my life, and not yours. And my life will go on.” — Salman Rushdie’s last words to his assailant on their last visit after his recovery.