Salman Rushdie, 75, author of “The Satanic Verses,” was fatally stabbed Friday, July 13, at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York as he began a conference on free speech. Rushdie has since had his ventilator removed and is now able to speak. Rushdie suffered multiple stab wounds to the right side of his neck, four to his stomach, a puncture wound to his right eye that he may lose, two stab wounds to his chest and a laceration to his right thigh, according to attorney Jason Schmidt. . during the suspect’s arraignment. To take him to UPMC Hamot Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, he was flown in.
Aatish Taseer, a colleague of Rushdie’s, tweeted that the author was “off the fan and chatting (and joking).” Taseer later deleted the tweet, but Andrew Wylie, Rushdie’s agent, said it was accurate. The Daily Mail stated that it withheld any additional information. Many people on Twitter spread the information.
Hadi Matar, the man accused of stabbing Rushdie, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Saturday, July 13. The 24-year-old was charged with assault and attempted murder. He made the admission during a hearing in the Mayville Chautauqua County Courthouse. As Mr. Rushdie was being prosecuted, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt stated, “This was a targeted, pre-planned, and unprovoked attack on Mr. Rushdie.”
Schmidt said Matar, a native of Fairview, New Jersey, rode the bus to Chautauqua and was admitted to the school two days before the event. He arrived a day or more before the occasion. He did not travel with a wallet. His belongings included cash and prepaid Visa cards. He was carrying a false identity, according to Schmidt, who spoke with the New York Post.
Schmidt informed Judge Marilyn Gerace of the fatwa issued in 1989 by the Iranian government, then led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, against Rushdie. His wealth is irrelevant to me, so it has a significant bearing on whether or not bail is granted. Schmidt, who advocated for Matar being held without bail, said the agenda that was carried out yesterday was endorsed and approved by broader individuals and organizations that extend well beyond Chautauqua County boundaries. The prosecution said: “Even if this court sets bail at $1 million, we are in danger that this bail may be satisfied by that.”
Gerace jailed Matar without posting bail. Nathaniel Barone, Matar’s attorney, claimed after the hearing that his client had been “extremely forthcoming” and that he had no criminal record. Matar appeared to support Iran and the Revolutionary Guards based on his social media activities. Furthermore, he published articles endorsing Shiite radicalism.
