According to the British "Guardian" and other media reports, on August 13, local time, British writer J.K. Rowling was again threatened with death for supporting the attacked writer Salman Rusidi on social media. It is reported that the police have now intervened and are investigating the cyber threat, and the results of the investigation have not yet been announced.
On August 12, Rusidi was accidentally assassinated while giving a speech in New York State, USA, and was later transferred to the hospital for surgery, according to his family, Rusidi is now out of ventilator and is gradually recovering. After the case, Rowling tweeted on social media: "This is terrible news. Now [I'm] feeling very uncomfortable. Hope he's okay. Subsequently, a user with the screen name Meer Asif Asiz replied: "Don't worry, it's your turn next." The user had publicly expressed his support for Russidi's attacker, Hadi Matar, on Twitter.
Upon receiving this response, Rowling immediately sought support from Twitter, but was greeted by a response: "After reviewing the available information, we believe that the statement does not violate the relevant content regulations." This response caused Rowling's dissatisfaction, and then Rowling herself publicly questioned: "Is this Twitter's platform policy?" As of press time, Twitter has not made any further response to this. However, on the evening of August 14, the account involved has been suspended.
Rowling publicly questioned Twitter's content controls on social media.
In fact, this is not the first time Rowling has received death threats. Since 2020, Rowling has been deeply controversial for her speeches against transgender groups. In July 2021, Rowling also released a death threat she had received from a "parcel bomb", saying that she wanted to place a bomb for Rowling. At the time, Rowling responded: "Resisting all her efforts will only increase the sales of her works." The threat has once again raised public concerns about Rowling's personal safety. In response, Rowling confirmed: "The police are now involved in the investigation. ”
Recently, Warner Bros Discovery, which has adapted the Harry Potter film series, also issued a statement "strongly condemning" such threats to creators, while expressing its willingness to work with Roussidi and his family and support "all writers who bravely express their views and creativity."
Including Rowling, in the past few days, many writers and politicians have expressed their views on the attack on Russidi. After Stephen King, Kazuo Ishiguro and Callerde Husseini, writer and comedian David Baddiel added: "What happened to Russidi is shocking. But what is even more unbelievable, by contrast, is that some would think that this is Russidi's 'self-inflicted'. Jeff Sharlet, an American writer and journalist, recalled, "Judging by my previous interactions with Rosidi( albeit a limited number of times), he was more like a man than many male star writers." I remember when he came to Dartmouth, he didn't hesitate to spend time even for undergraduates. ”
Salman Russidi, 75, has received long-standing death threats. In the 1980s, he wrote the Book of Satan, which many Muslims considered to have fabricated part of Muhammad's life and was blasphemous, and was banned in Iran in 1988. Iran's leader at the time, Ruhollah Khomeini, offered a large reward for killing Russidi. In Friday's attack, suspect Hadi Matar has now been arrested, and many voices on social media suspect that the attack is still related to the killing order against Russidi. However, the New York State Local Police told The Guardian: "The motive for the crime has not yet been determined." In addition, Lebanon's pro-Iranian militant group Allah hezbollah told Reuters it knew nothing about the suspect, Matar. The details of the case are still under further investigation.
Reference Links:
1. Police investigate threat to JK Rowling over Salman Rushdie tweet.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/14/police-investigate-threat-jk-rowling-salman-rushdie
2. Police investigate JK Rowling threat as writers fear for freedom after attack on Salman Rushdie.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/police-investigate-jk-rowling-threat-as-writers-fear-for-freedom-after-attack-on-salman-rushdie-t6r5q2vmf
3. U.K. Police Investigate Online Threat to J.K. Rowling.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/14/business/jk-rowling-salman-rushdie-threat.html
4. Salman Rushdie is off ventilator and able to talk, agent says.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/14/salman-rushdie-is-off-ventilator-and-able-to-talk-agent-says
5. Writers and politicians condemn attack on Salman Rushdie.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/13/writers-and-politicians-condemn-attack-on-salman-rushdie
6. Salman Rushdie attack: details emerge about New Jersey suspect.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/13/salman-rushdie-attack-suspect-new-jersey
Compile/Shen Lu
Edit/Aoruko
Proofreading/Lin Zhao