Indian-origin author assaulted in SAfrica

JOHANNESBURG: An Indian-origin author in South Africa has been brutally assaulted and verbally abused after she praised controversial writer Salman Rushdie whose work has angered Muslims around the world.Zainub Priya Dala was hit in the face with a brick last week after she praised Rushdie’s writing at a school in Durban, a city on the country’s east coast.Dala had been due to launch her novel ‘What About Meera’ in the city on Saturday, which was ironically Human Rights Day in South Africa, but had to postpone it after being injured.She was reportedly followed from the hotel where the festival was taking place by three men in a vehicle who forced her car off the road.When she stopped her vehicle, two of the men came to the car, one allegedly putting a knife to her throat while the other struck her in the face with a brick while he verbally abused her.Dala said she believed the attack occurred as a result of a comment she made during a writing forum for schools earlier in the week, when she and two other authors were asked to comment on their favourite authors. (IANS)