Durban - The Durban author attacked after expressing her admiration for Salman Rushdie, on Monday told how the incident had left her traumatised and she was seeing a psychiatrist.
Zainub Priya Dala, 40, said she was attacked a day after praising Rushdie’s writing style while addressing Chatsworth school children as part of the Time of the Writer literary festival.
She said a car forced her off the road at the corner of Crescent and Felix Dlamini (Brickfield) Road in Overport on Wednesday and one of the occupants, a man, held a knife to her throat and struck her across her face with a brick.
She said he swore at her, but was reluctant to go into detail.
The Daily News’s sister paper, the Independent on Saturday, quoted Dala’s publisher, Fourie Botha as saying the attacker called her “Rushdie’s bitch.”
British Indian author Rushdie’s controversial 1988 novel The Satanic Verses sparked protests by Muslims in several countries. He received death threats and was named in a 2010 al-Qaeda “hit list” by Islamic militant Anwar al-Awlaki.
Speaking to the Daily News yesterday Dala said she suffered a fracture to her left cheek bone during the attack.
She said she was seeing a psychiatrist to help her deal with the trauma.
“I am on antibiotics and have taken a tetanus injection. This afternoon (Monday) I went to my doctor to see if the fracture was severe but was told it’s okay,” she said.
The Wednesday attack occurred a day after her remarks caused a walkout at the Chatsworth Education Centre. She posted details on Facebook of the walkout later that day.
Police spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane, said it was alleged that Dala noticed another vehicle following her on Wednesday at 2pm.
“She decided to pull over as she was unsafe. The same vehicle pulled over and the occupants tried to stab her and fled,” Zwane said.
Dala was part of the Time of the Writer festival touring schools in KZN to encourage pupils to take up reading.
Mayville Police are urging people who may have witnessed the incident or know anyone involved in the attack to call 10111.
Daily News