The man who attacked Indian-origin british American novelist salman Rushdie with a knife has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. In the year 2022, he was attacked by a man named Hadi Matar in America, in which he lost the vision of one eye. In february 2025, the court convicted this New jersey man, who attacked salman Rushdie with a knife several times, of attempted murder.
The attacker attacked with a knife by climbing on the stage
Matar was convicted after a two-week hearing in Chautauqua County court in western New York State. 77-year-old Rushdie testified that he was on stage at the historic Chautauqua Institution when he saw a man running towards him. Recalling the incident, he said that he was stunned to see the attacker's eyes, which were black and looked very cruel. At first he thought he was punched, but later realised he was stabbed.
The attacker called salman Rushdie a hypocrite
Before the sentencing in court, Hadi Matar stood up and said many things on freedom of expression, in which he called Rushdie a hypocrite. Hadi Matar said, "Salman Rushdie wants to disrespect other people. He wants to threaten other people and I do not agree with this." Hadi Matar was sentenced to 25 years for attempting to murder Rushdie and 7 years for injuring another person present on the stage. The court said that both sentences will run simultaneously because both victims were injured in the same incident.
Hadi Matar declared himself innocent of three charges, in which he was accused of providing material to terrorists, attempting to provide assistance to Hezbollah and being involved in terrorism near the border.
Fatwa issued against Rushdie
The attack came more than 35 years after Rushdie's controversial novel The Satanic Verses was first published. Inspired by the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the novel sparked outrage among some Muslims who considered its content blasphemous. The book was banned in some countries after its publication in 1988. In 1989, Iran's supreme leader Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie.
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