Conversation so far:
What does the article say about Mohammed Zahir Shah's Exile?
Zahir Shah lived in exile in Italy for twenty-nine years in a villa in the affluent community of Olgiata on Via Cassia, north of Rome
why did Mohammed Zahir Shah live in Exile?
During August 1973, Zahir Shah abdicated rather than risk a civil war, ending over 200 years of royal rule in Afghanistan.
What did Mohammed Zahir Shah do while living in exile?
he spent his time playing golf and chess, as well as tending to his garden.
What made Mohammed Zahir Shah come out of exile?
the end of Taliban rule
What else happened to Mohammed Zahir Shah in 1973 besides exile?
his cousin and former Prime Minister Mohammed Daoud Khan staged an internal coup d'état and established a republican government.
Did Mohammed Zahir Shah have any issues with his eyes?
In 1973 Zahir Shah was in Italy undergoing eye surgery
Are there any other interesting aspects about Mohammed Zahir Shah's exile besides living in exile for twenty-nine years, why he was exiled, what he did in exile, coming out of exile at the end of Taliban rule, the internal coup staged by his cousin, and his eye surgery in Italy?
In 1991, Zahir Shah survived an attempt on his life by a knife-wielding assassin masquerading as a Portuguese journalist.

Question: How did he survive this?
Self-contained rewrite: How did Mohammed Zahir Shah survive the attack by the knife wielding journalist?