Guilty! New York jury convicts Hadi Matar in brutal stabbing of Salman Rushdie

New York: Hadi Matar, the man who brutally attacked renowned novelist Salman Rushdie, has been convicted of attempted murder by a jury in New York. Matar now faces up to 32 years in prison, along with federal terrorism-related charges. The verdict was delivered in a court in Mayville, New York, following Rushdie’s emotional testimony about the traumatic event. The India-born British-American author recalled the chilling moment of the attack, describing his assailant’s "dark, ferocious eyes" and how he initially did not realize he was being stabbed until he saw his clothes drenched in blood.

Matar's statements on the attack

During the court proceedings, Matar admitted that he did not expect Rushdie to survive. "When I heard he survived, I was surprised, I guess," Matar reportedly told the court, as per the New York Post. When questioned about his admiration for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini—who issued a fatwa against Rushdie in 1989—Matar stated, "I respect the Ayatollah. I think he's a great person. That's as far as I will say about that." Regarding whether his attack was directly inspired by Rushdie’s controversial novel, The Satanic Verses, Matar admitted he had only skimmed through the book, saying, "I read a couple of pages. I didn't read the whole thing cover to cover."

Rushdie's life-altering injuries

The attack occurred on August 12, 2022, just before Rushdie was set to deliver a speech at the Chautauqua Institution. Wearing dark clothing and a face mask, Matar stormed the stage and repeatedly stabbed the author. Rushdie suffered severe injuries, including three stab wounds to his neck, four to his stomach, puncture wounds to his right eye and chest, and a deep cut on his right thigh. The injuries left him blind in one eye and permanently affected the use of one of his hands. His liver was also damaged, and nerves in his arm and eye were severed. Following the attack, Rushdie was rushed to a hospital in northwestern Pennsylvania, where he underwent emergency surgery.

The aftermath of the fatwa against Rushdie

Rushdie had faced death threats for decades following the publication of The Satanic Verses, which was deemed blasphemous by many Muslims. Khomeini’s fatwa led to years of threats and forced the author to spend a decade under British protection. Matar’s conviction marks a significant development in the long-running controversy surrounding Rushdie’s work and the violent repercussions it has faced.