“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling received death threats from an Iran-backing extremist after she defended Salman Rushdie, the 75-year-old author attacked by a knife-wielding assailant.
Following the attack in New York City last Friday, Rowling took to her Twitter account to share the “horrifying news” about the attack on Rushdie, who is recovering after sustaining several critical injuries. The author noted she was “feeling very sick” about the attack carried out by the 24-year-old extremist.
“Don’t worry, you are next,” replied a Twitter user identified as Meer Asif Aziz.
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The commenter’s account bio lists him as a “student, social activist, political activist and research activist,” according to the Daily Mail. His location is set to Karachi, Pakistan, and he has used his account to make “jokes” about the destruction of Israel and describe India as a “terrorist state.”
Rowling, for her part, called on Twitter to investigate the tweet in question and noted police were also looking into the matter. The social media company, however, ultimately ruled Aziz didn’t violate its rules against threatening violence toward other Twitter users.
“After reviewing the available information, we determined that there were no violations of the Twitter rules in the content you reported,” Twitter reportedly wrote in an email to Rowling regarding the violent threat from Aziz. “We appreciate your help and encourage you to reach out again in the future if you see any potential violations.”
It is worth noting, though, the account linked to Aziz has been suspended.
Warner Bros. Discovery — the film studio behind the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” franchises — released a statement over the weekend defending the famed British author:
Warner Bros. Discovery strongly condemns the threats made against J.K. Rowling. We stand with her and all the authors, storytellers, and creators who bravely express their creativity and opinions. WBD believes in freedom of expression, peaceful discourse, and supporting those who offer their views in the public arena. Our thoughts are with Sir Salman Rushdie and his family following the senseless act of violence in New York. The company strongly condemns any form of threat, violence or intimidation when opinions, beliefs, and thoughts might differ.
Rowling is certainly no stranger to violent threats on social media.
The author has faced leftist scorn since the summer of 2020, when she spoke out about the immutable nature of sex, defending the scientific reality that males are males and females are females and that cannot change.
“I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives,” she tweeted at the time. “It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
Rowling has stood by her convictions.
In March, she spoke out against a transgender bill in Scotland that would lower the age at which a person can legally change his or her sexual identity from 18 to 16 years old. The author argued the proposed law would endanger the “most vulnerable women in society,” those seeking help after rape and incarcerated females, by placing them in close proximity to males who identify as females.
As for Rushdie, he was taken off the ventilator over the weekend and is continuing to recover to several injuries, including three stab wounds to his neck and four to his stomach as well as lacerations in his chest, right eye, and right thigh.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said the author might lose his eye.
Please continue to pray for Rushdie’s full recovery and for Rowling’s safety following the threat made against her life.
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