Canadian writers, publishers and literary figures doubled down on the right to freedom of thought and expression on Saturday, one day after an attack on award-winning author Salman Rushdie that left him hospitalized and on a ventilator.

Rushdie, whose 1988 novel B次元官网网址淭he Satanic VersesB次元官网网址� drew death threats from IranB次元官网网址檚 leaders in the 1980s, was stabbed in the neck and abdomen Friday by a man who rushed the stage as the author was about to give a lecture in western New York.

Louise Dennys, executive vice-president and publisher of Penguin Random House Canada, has published and edited RushdieB次元官网网址檚 writing for over 30 years. She condemned the attack on her longtime friend and colleague as B次元官网网址渃owardlyB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渞eprehensible in every way.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淗e is without doubt one of the greatest proponents of freedom of thought and speech and debate and discussion in the world today,B次元官网网址� Dennys said in a telephone interview. B次元官网网址淚 have hopes of his recovery. HeB次元官网网址檚 a great warrior and fighter, and I hope he is fighting back.B次元官网网址�

Rushdie, a native of India who has since lived in Britain and the U.S., is known for his surreal and satirical prose style. B次元官网网址淭he Satanic VersesB次元官网网址� was regarded by many Muslims as blasphemous for its dream sequence based on the life of the Prophet Muhammad, among other objections. The book had already been banned and burned in India, Pakistan and elsewhere before IranB次元官网网址檚 Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a 1989 fatwa, or edict, calling for RushdieB次元官网网址檚 death.

Investigators were working to determine whether the attacker, born a decade after the publication of B次元官网网址淭he Satanic Verses,B次元官网网址� acted alone. Police said the motive for FridayB次元官网网址檚 attack was unclear.

After the publication of B次元官网网址淭he Satanic Verses,B次元官网网址� often-violent protests erupted across the Muslim world against Rushdie. At least 45 people were killed in riots over the book, including 12 people in RushdieB次元官网网址檚 hometown of Mumbai. In 1991, a Japanese translator of the book was stabbed to death and an Italian translator survived a knife attack. In 1993, the bookB次元官网网址檚 Norwegian publisher was shot three times and survived.

The death threats prompted Rushdie to go into hiding under a British government protection program, though he cautiously resumed public appearances after nine years of seclusion, maintaining his outspoken criticism of religious extremism overall.

B次元官网网址淲e all depend on the storytelling, power and imagination of writers. He came out of hiding because he realized he wanted to play a role in the world we live in, defending those rights,B次元官网网址� said Dennys.

B次元官网网址淗e couldnB次元官网网址檛 be silenced by fear, and I think that point is something he will continue to make if, as we all hope, he survives,B次元官网网址� she said.

Dennys said the attack is already having the opposite effect of its suspected intentions given the outpouring of support from the international literary community, as well as activists and government officials, who cited RushdieB次元官网网址檚 courage for his longtime free speech advocacy despite risks to his own safety.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 brought everyone together to realize how precious and fragile our freedoms are and how important it is to speak up for them,B次元官网网址� Dennys said.

The president of PEN Canada, an organization defending authorsB次元官网网址� freedom of expression, condemned the B次元官网网址渟avage attackB次元官网网址� on their B次元官网网址渇riend and colleagueB次元官网网址� Rushdie, who is a member.

Canadian writer John Ralston Saul, who has known Rushdie since the 1990s, said the author was always aware that someone might attack him but he chose to live publicly in order to speak out against those trying to silence free expression and debate.

B次元官网网址�(RushdieB次元官网网址檚) work and whole life are a reminder of what the life of the public writer is in reality,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his would be the worst possible time to give in or show any sense that we must be more careful with our words. WeB次元官网网址檙e not really writers if we give in to that kind of threat.B次元官网网址�

RushdieB次元官网网址檚 alleged attacker, Hadi Matar, was arrested after the attack at the Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education and retreat centre. MatarB次元官网网址檚 lawyer entered a not guilty plea in a New York court on Saturday to charges of attempted murder and assault.

After the attack, some longtime visitors to the centre questioned why there wasnB次元官网网址檛 tighter security for the event, given the threats against Rushdie and a bounty on his head offering more than $3 million to anyone who killed him.

Saul, who spoke at the Chautauqua Institution years before RushdieB次元官网网址檚 attack, said it has an B次元官网网址渙pen traditionB次元官网网址� of debate, free-expression and anti-violence going back over 100 years.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 one of the freest places to take advantage of our belief in freedom,B次元官网网址� he said.

Director of the Toronto International Festival of Authors Roland Gulliver tweeted Saturday that literary festivals and book events are B次元官网网址渟paces of expression, to tell your stories in friendship, safety and respect.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭o see this so violently broken is incredibly shocking,B次元官网网址� he wrote.

Expressions of sympathy came from the political realm as well, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemning the attack as a B次元官网网址渃owardly B次元官网网址� strike against freedom of expression.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淣o one should be threatened or harmed on the basis of what they have written,B次元官网网址� read a statement posted to TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 official Twitter account. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 wishing him a speedy recovery.B次元官网网址�

The 75-year-old Rushdie suffered a damaged liver, severed nerves in his arm and is likely to lose an eye as a result of the attack, RushdieB次元官网网址檚 agent Andrew Wylie said Friday evening.

A physician who witnessed the attack and was among those who rushed to help described RushdieB次元官网网址檚 wounds as B次元官网网址渟erious but recoverable.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� With files from the Associated Press.

Tyler Griffin, The Canadian Press