Hadi Matar, the man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie during a lecture in New York in 2022, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. The sentencing took place in Chautauqua County Court, New York, nearly two years after the incident that left Rushdie blind in one eye and severely injured.
The attack occurred on August 12, 2022, at the Chautauqua Institution, where Rushdie was scheduled to speak. As he was being introduced, Matar rushed the stage and stabbed the acclaimed author multiple times in the face, neck, and torso. Rushdie, then 75, later said he thought he was going to die.
Matar, 27, was found guilty in February of second-degree attempted murder and assault. He was also held responsible for injuring Henry Reese, who was moderating the event and suffered stab wounds during the attack.
Before sentencing, Matar addressed the court but showed no remorse. Instead, he criticized Rushdie over issues of freedom of speech, calling him a “bully” and a “hypocrite.” Judge David Foley, while delivering the maximum sentence, expressed concern that Matar might attempt a similar act again in the future.
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According to ABC News, Matar’s attack was believed to be an attempt to carry out a decades-old fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the publication of The Satanic Verses. During the trial, it was revealed that Matar viewed the fatwa as valid and aligned with extremist ideology, reportedly believing it was supported by Hezbollah.
Authorities confirmed that Matar traveled from New Jersey specifically to target Rushdie during the event. Prosecutors argued that the attack was designed to inflict maximum damage not only on Rushdie but also on the public witnessing it.
Rushdie has since detailed his recovery and the aftermath of the stabbing in his 2024 memoir titled Knife. He spent weeks in the hospital and a rehabilitation center following the attack. A federal trial now awaits Matar on terrorism-related charges, where prosecutors are expected to explore the ideological motivations behind the incident in more depth.
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