Sant jikkundanna l-attakk fuq Salman Rushdie

Fi stqarrija fuq il-midja soċjali, il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni tal-Partit Laburista fil-Grupp Soċjalista u Demokratiku (S&D) fil-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant ikkundana bil-qawwa l-attakk fuq l-awtur magħruf Sir Salman Rushdie. “L-attakk fuq il-kittieb Salman Rushdie jistħoqqlu kull kundanna, ġej minn fejn ġej”, huwa saħaq.

Salman Rushdie, ċittadin Brittaniku-Amerikan imwieled fl-Indja ngħata 10 daqqiet ta’ sikkina f’wiċċu, għonqu u f’żaqqu waqt li kien qed jitkellem f’avveniment fi New York il-Ġimgħa 12 ta’ Awwissu 2022. L-allegat aggressur tiegħu, Hadi Matar ġie arrestat fuq il-post. Rushdie, li huwa magħruf mad-dinja kollha, huwa l-awtur ta’ tlettax-il rumanz, tradotti f’aktar minn erbgħin lingwa. It-tmexxija Iranjana f’fatwa ħeġġet biex jinqatel bħala kastig talli kiteb ir-rumanz The Satanic Verses, li kien meqjus bħala offensiv, ordni li qatt ma ġiet revokata.

Sant stqarr li Rushdie huwa kittieb tal-aqwa kalibru u sinċerità, u rrefera għall-konverżazzjoni pubblika li kellu ma’ Rushdie f’Novembru 2020 waqt laqgħa virtwali organizzata mill-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb.

Il-MPE Laburista esprima stmerrija għal min jipprova jwaqqaf lil xi ħadd milli jesprimi l-opinjoni tiegħu jew tagħha b’libertà sħiħa, jew jikkastiga lil xi ħadd għax dan isir. “Din hija xi ħaġa diżgustanti u għandha tiġi kkundannata bla ebda riżerva”, saħaq Sant. “Hekk qed nagħmel jien minn hawn waqt li nixtieq l-aqwa fejqan lil Rushdie minn dan l-attentat kodard”.

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Sant condemns attack on Salman Rushdie

In a statement on social media, the Head of the Labour Party Delegation at the Socialist and Democratic Group (S&D) at the European Parliament Alfred Sant strongly deplored the attack on acclaimed author Sir Salman Rushdie. “It deserves every condemnation, irrespective from where it comes from”, he stressed.

Salman Rushdie, a British-American citizen born in India was stabbed 10 times in the face, neck and abdomen while speaking at an event in New York on Friday 12 August 2022. His alleged attacker, Hadi Matar was arrested at the scene. Acclaimed worldwide Rushdie is the author of thirteen novels, translated into over forty languages. The Iranian leadership in a fatwa urged that he be killed as punishment for having written the novel The Satanic Verses, seen as blasphemous, an order that has never been rescinded.

Sant stated that Rushdie is an exceptional and profound author, and referred to the public conversation he had held with Rushdie in November 2020 during a virtual meeting ogranized by the National Book Council.

The Labour MEP expressed disgust at whoever tries to stop anyone from expressing his or her opinion with complete freedom, or punishes someone because this is done. “This is outrageous and should be condemned without reservation and in the strongest terms”, Sant emphasized. “That’s what I’m doing from here. I wish Rushdie the best recovery from this cowardly attempt”.