Salman Rushdie, the famous Indian author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked Friday as he was about to give a lecture in western New York. An Associated Press reporter noticed a man rush to the stage at the Chautauqua Institution and begin punching or stabbing Rushdie as he was being introduced. The author was taken or fell to the floor, and the man was restrained.

The 75-year-old author’s condition was not immediately known. He was flown to a hospital in a helicopter after receiving on-site medical assistance.

Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses has been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous. A year later, Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death.

A bounty of over USD 3 million has also been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie.  While Iran’s government has long since distanced itself from Khomeini’s decree,  anti-Rushdie rage remained. In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation raised the bounty for Rushdie from USD 2.8 million to USD 3.3 million.

Rushdie dismissed that threat at the time, saying there was “no evidence” of people being interested in the reward.

Salman Rushdie’s condition was not immediately known

Rushdie’s condition was not immediately known.  “We are dealing with an emergency situation. I can share no further details at this time,” a Chautauqua Institution spokesperson said when contacted by Reuters.

Who is Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie, who was born into an Indian Muslim family, has faced death threats for his fourth novel, “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims said contained blasphemous passages. The novel was banned in many countries with large Muslim populations upon its 1988 publication.

A year later, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Iran’s supreme leader, enunciated a fatwa, or religious edict, calling upon Muslims to kill the novelist for blasphemy.

Iran later backed away from the order and Rushdie has lived relatively openly in recent years.

Rushdie was at the Chautauqua Institution to take part in a discussion about the United States serving as an asylum for writers and artists in exile and “as a home for freedom of creative expression,” according to the institution’s website.

The Wylie Agency, which represents Rushdie, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.