Synopsis
A jury in New York has found Hadi Matar guilty of attempted murder and assault for stabbing Salman Rushdie. Matar now faces over 30 years in prison, with federal terrorism-related charges pending. The attack left Rushdie seriously injured. Sentencing is set for April 23.Key Takeaways
- Hadi Matar, 27, convicted of attempted murder.
- Stabbing incident left Salman Rushdie severely injured.
- Matar faces over 30 years in prison.
- Rushdie's novel sparked outrage and a fatwa.
- Matar also charged with supporting Hezbollah.
New York, Feb 22 (NationPress) A man from New Jersey has been found guilty of attempted murder and assault after stabbing the acclaimed British-Indian author Salman Rushdie multiple times during a lecture in New York.
Hadi Matar, 27, is now facing a potential prison sentence exceeding 30 years, in addition to federal charges related to terrorism, as reported by the BBC.
The incident, which occurred in August 2022, left Rushdie with serious injuries, including liver damage, loss of vision in one eye, and paralysis in one hand due to nerve damage.
The jury's verdict was delivered on Friday following a two-week trial at the Chautauqua County Court in western New York, close to where the attack took place.
Additionally, the jury found Matar guilty of assault for injuring Henry Reese, the interviewer who was on stage with Rushdie. Reese sustained a minor head injury during the assault, as reported by the BBC.
A sentencing date for Matar has been set for April 23.
Rushdie, now 77, recounted that while on stage at the historic Chautauqua Institution, he noticed a man rushing towards him.
Describing the attacker, he noted that the man’s eyes were “dark and seemed very ferocious.”
Initially believing he had been punched, Rushdie soon realized he had been stabbed—a total of 15 times—suffering wounds to his eye, cheek, neck, chest, torso, and thigh.
This attack occurred over 35 years after the publication of Rushdie’s controversial novel, The Satanic Verses, which drew ire from some Muslim communities for perceived blasphemy. The book was banned in several countries following its release in 1988.
Following the publication, Rushdie endured numerous death threats and spent nine years in hiding due to a fatwa issued by Iran's religious leader, calling for his execution.
However, in recent years, Rushdie expressed that he believed the threats against him had lessened.
During the closing arguments of the trial on Friday, prosecuting attorney Jason Schmidt presented a slow-motion video of the attack, urging the jury to observe the targeted nature of the assault.
“There were many people present that day, but only one individual was specifically targeted,” he informed the jury.
The defense attorney, Andrew Brautigan, contested that the prosecution had not established that Matar intended to kill Rushdie. Matar had entered a plea of not guilty.
No witnesses were called by Matar's defense team, and he did not testify on his own behalf.
In a 2022 interview with the New York Post from jail, Matar expressed admiration for Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, for calling for Rushdie’s death.
“I don’t think he’s a very good person,” Matar remarked about Rushdie. “He’s someone who attacked Islam.”
He admitted to having read only a few pages of The Satanic Verses.
Matar, who was born in Fairview, New Jersey, to Lebanese immigrant parents, is also facing separate federal charges for allegedly providing material support to the militant group Hezbollah, according to an indictment that was unsealed in July.
Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist organization by Western nations, Israel, Gulf Arab countries, and the Arab League.
