Salman Rushdie attacked during panel in western New York, report says

Author Salman Rushdie was attacked while on stage for panel in western New York Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The AP said a man stormed the stage and began punching or stabbing Rushdie during his introduction.

A spokesperson from the Chautauqua Institution, where the panel was being held, told CNBC the situation was still being assessed and that it could not yet confirm details.

Rushdie’s book “The Satanic Verses” forced him into hiding after it was banned in Iran and a $3 million bounty was put on his head. The Iranian government has distanced itself from the bounty, according to the AP, but the fatwa has been continued by a semi-official religious organization, which raised the bounty to $3.3 million.