Famed novelist Salman Rushdie was stabbed Friday while delivering a public address in Chautauqua, New York. He was 75 years old. The guy who allegedly attacked him was identified by officials as Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old New Jersey resident who has openly declared his support for the Iranian government.
As Salman Rushdie prepared to speak as a guest speaker at the Chautauqua Institute Literary Competition, according to The Guardian, Matar jumped off the stage and attacked him with what appeared to be a sharp weapon.
Since the publication of The Satanic Verses in 1988, Salman Rushdie has come under fire from critics. Ayatollah Khomeini, who was then Iran’s Supreme Leader, expressed concern over a fatwa (ban) against the author. Rushdie’s execution was demanded by the Fatwa. It was terminated because the author’s writing was blasphemous.
Politico reports that the Iranian government is offering a $3 million reward for information leading to the murder of Salman Rushdie.
Hadi Matar
All about Salman Rushdie’s alleged attacker
According to Newsweek, Hadi Matar was born in California but grew up in Fairview, New Jersey. The guy attacked Salman Rushdie while in possession of a fake New Jersey driver’s license, according to the Associated Press.
Although Hadi Matar’s motives have not been confirmed by New York authorities, his social media accounts suggest he may have been motivated by his alleged admiration for Shia extremism and government-related initiatives. Iranians, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a division of the Iranian armed forces created by Ayatollah Khomeini.
Authorities have concluded that Hadi Matar supports these causes, but they have yet to establish a solid connection between him and the Iranian government. Salman Rusdhie was allegedly assaulted by a suspect who was wearing black clothes and military fatigues, leading onlookers to believe the attack was intentional.
NBC New York released the most recent information regarding the severity of the attack and knew that Rushdie was currently receiving ventilation. He suffers from nerve damage in an arm and a damaged liver. There could be a possible problem with one of his eyes.
Salman Rushdie and the publication of The Satanic Verses have previously been linked to acts of violence. According to Muslim reports, the controversy surrounding the Fatwa was responsible for at least 45 murders, including the 1991 murder of Hitoshi Igarashi, a comparative literature assistant who had translated Rushdie’s book into Japanese.
