A stunning incident unfolded in Mayville, N.Y., as acclaimed author Salman Rushdie faced a life-threatening situation during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater. Rushdie, 77, was taken by surprise when a masked man, identified as Hadi Matar, began stabbing him on stage. Prosecutors revealed that Rushdie, the Booker Prize-winning author, was left seriously wounded and blind in one eye following the brutal attack.
During the trial, Rushdie is expected to recount the harrowing experience, coming face-to-face with his assailant for the first time since the incident occurred in August 2022. District Attorney Jason Schmidt described the assault as a rapid and unanticipated act by Matar, who swiftly ascended a staircase onto the stage and launched into the attack as the event commenced.
The violence unfolded so quickly that Rushdie and his co-speaker, Henry Reese, were initially frozen in shock, sitting in their chairs as the stabbing barrage began. Schmidt detailed the relentless assault, with Matar repeatedly striking Rushdie with his knife, inflicting severe injuries to various parts of the author’s body as he attempted to defend himself.
As the trial progresses, jurors will witness evidence from the day of the attack, including video footage and images capturing the chaotic scene that unfolded before onlookers intervened and subdued Matar until law enforcement arrived. The trial, coinciding with the approaching 36th anniversary of the fatwa issued against Rushdie on Feb. 14, 1989, continues to shed light on the shocking encounter that forever altered the renowned author’s life.
Matar, 27, facing charges of attempted murder and assault, maintains his innocence as he calmly declared “Free Palestine” upon entering the courtroom. Despite facing a challenging start due to his attorney’s unexpected hospitalization, Matar’s defense team is preparing to present their case as the trial progresses over the next week to 10 days.
Rushdie’s memoir, titled “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” provides a detailed account of the attack and his arduous journey to recovery following the traumatic incident. The trial serves as a pivotal moment in seeking justice for the author and holding Matar accountable for the senseless act of violence that shook the community and the literary world at large.
The defense’s argument will focus on the allegations made by federal authorities in a separate indictment against Matar, claiming that he was influenced by a terrorist organization’s support of a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s assassination. A subsequent trial regarding the federal charges – including terrorism that crosses national borders, providing assistance to terrorists, and attempting to support a terrorist group – will be arranged in U.S. District Court in Buffalo. Rushdie, renowned for his literary contributions since the release of “Midnight’s Children” in 1981, a novel that secured the coveted Booker Prize, has also penned notable works such as “Shame” and “Victory City,” the latter being completed shortly prior to the stabbing incident in 2022. Additionally, his 2012 memoir “Joseph Anton” delves into his experiences living in seclusion. According to the federal indictment, Matar purportedly believed that the fatwa was sanctioned by Hezbollah, a militant organization based in Lebanon, and was publicly supported in a 2006 address by the group’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
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This report includes contributions from Hillel Italie, a national writer with the Associated Press in New York City.
