A man was convicted of federal terrorism charges on Wednesday for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. The jury found Hadi Matar guilty of all charges against him, including carrying out an act of transnational terrorism.
Matar, 28, already serves a 25-year sentence in New York state prison for attempted murder in the August 2022 attack. Now, the federal conviction has added a potential life sentence.
Violent Attack on Rushdie
Rushdie faced a significant injury, losing sight in his right eye, as he was about to speak on writers’ safety. He was slashed 15 times in front of an audience.
Matar’s Defense: Mind State Questioned
Prosecutors argued Matar was driven by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1989 call for Rushdie’s death over “The Satanic Verses.” Defense lawyer Nathaniel Barone claimed there was no evidence about Matar’s mental state. Matar chose not to testify.
Rushdie, however, did testify, stating, “I can’t say what his ambitions or his aim was, but the wounds were dispersed across my body.”
“The Satanic Verses” Controversy
Rushdie gained fame after winning the Booker Prize for “Midnight’s Children.” His later work, “The Satanic Verses,” faced criticism and caused protests, viewed as blasphemous by many Muslims due to its portrayal of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
As violence erupted, Rushdie went into hiding due to Khomeini’s fatwa, or religious ruling, calling for his death. Though Iran distanced from the fatwa in 1998, it was never revoked.
Matar’s Communications and Motivations
Matar’s messages revealed anger towards Rushdie for his perceived attacks on Islam and surviving the fatwa, which he felt emboldened insults to the faith. Born in the U.S., with Lebanese citizenship, Matar showed support for Hezbollah, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch highlighted Matar’s intentions to fulfill the fatwa, claiming the attack was in the name of Hezbollah. Matar’s messages showed plotting to “expose” and then kill Rushdie.
Planning and Execution of the Attack
By spring 2022, electronic communications showed Matar determining Rushdie’s residence and public events. He focused on the author’s August 2022 talk at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. As Rushdie was introduced, Matar attacked, stabbing him 15 times before civilians restrained him.
Rushdie’s Life Post-Attack
Following the attack, Rushdie published a 2024 memoir about the incident and resumed writing fiction with “The Eleventh Hour.” The author, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, received a Dayton Literary Peace Prize lifetime achievement award in November.