IPA Secretary General, José Borghino, said: ‘First of all, we send our unwavering support to Salman Rushdie as he recovers from this barbaric act. We wish him a quick recovery, and we assure him that we will never shift from our pledge to uphold Freedom to Publish everywhere. We also send our best wishes to Mr Rushdie’s family and loved ones as they comfort him at this terrible time.’
Kristenn Einarsson, Chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee, said: ‘The assault on Salman Rushdie was not just a repulsive personal attack, it was also a strike against the very concept of freedom of expression and Freedom to Publish. These ideas are central to the IPA’s work because without these freedoms, publishers and writers are effectively muzzled. The attack on Salman Rushdie is tragic but it will serve to redouble our commitment to fighting for the right of authors to speak out and of publishers to disseminate their words.‘
About the International Publishers Association (IPA)
The IPA is the world’s largest federation of publishers associations. Established in 1896, it is an industry body with a human rights mandate, whose mission is to promote and protect publishing and raise awareness of publishing as a force for economic, cultural and social development. Working in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other supranational bodies, the IPA champions the interests of book and journal publishing at national and supranational level. Internationally, the IPA actively opposes censorship and promotes copyright, freedom to publish (including through the IPA Prix Voltaire), and literacy.
www.internationalpublishers.org