Renowned novelist Sir Salman Rushdie has backed out of a college commencement speech at the eleventh hour amid intensifying backlash over “troubling statements.”
Claremont McKenna College President Hiram Chodosh wrote in a campus-wide email Tuesday that Rushdie, 77, had decided to withdraw as graduation keynote speaker for its May 17 ceremony, the Daily Bulletin reported.
“This decision was his alone and completely beyond our control,” Chodosh wrote. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to Sir Salman’s visit to CMC and have extended an open invitation to him to speak on our campus in the future.”
