LARAMIE - During a whirlwind visit here Thursday, "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie condemned attacks on intellectual freedom anywhere in the world, including a provision in the original USA Patriot Act, which was passed with strong bipartisan support just after 9/11.

The act's provision requiring libraries and bookstores to turn over lists of books purchased or borrowed without patrons' knowledge was "astonishing, clearly a police state action," he said.

"It was one of the greatest intrusions on personal freedom in this country in a very long time," he added. "It was terrifying the administration would even consider" adopting such a provision.

"Tyrants seem to fear very little as much as the unrestrained individual voice," Rushdie told a packed house at the Albany County Public Library in the afternoon, preceding his evening appearance at the University of Wyoming.

Rushdie then gave a strong hint as to his preference in this year's presidential election.

"You have a chance to do something about it in November," he said. "You can vote, I can't. Don't screw it up this time."

Rushdie said he was involved with the writers' group PEN in challenging the "business records" provision of the Patriot Act. He said that effort resulted in the dampening of the provision to some extent in the reauthorization of the act which occurred a couple of years ago.

Born in Bombay and reared in India and England, the 61-year-old novelist first attracted attention with his second novel, "Midnight's Children," in 1981. But he became known worldwide after his 1988 novel, "The Satanic Verses," led to violent protests from Muslims and a religious edict from Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran calling for his death.

This forced Rushdie to limit personal appearances for a decade. He has not been harmed, but several people involved in translating the book have been injured and one killed.

Rushdie, a British citizen, emphasized that it wasn't the book that caused the violence. "It was violent people responding violently."

He encouraged the audience and writers not to be silenced.

"We live in a very scared time. There is a lot of pulling of punches and self-censorship around," he said, "and that's one of the most regrettable aspects of the present moment. This is, in my view, a kind of suicide. People should say what they think. Who wants scared, safe little books."

Rushdie, who came from a Sunni Muslim family, said Sept. 26 is the 20th anniversary of the publication of "Satanic Verses" in English.

He said that while he expected it would foment argument and heated discussion in the Islamic world, he never expected the violence which occurred.

In 2007 Rushdie was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his services to literature.