Author Salman Rushdie calls for defense of freedom of expression as he receives German prize

BERLIN (AP) — Author Salman Rushdie called for the unconditional defense of freedom of expression as he received a prestigious German prize. The German news agency dpa reported that Rushdie decried the current age as a time when freedom of expression is under attack by all sides. He made his remarks at a ceremony in Frankfurt on Sunday where he received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. The German jury honored him for continuing to write despite threats and violence. In August 2022, Rushdie was stabbed repeatedly while on stage at a literary festival in New York state. The attack left him blind in his right eye and with a damaged left hand.