The Assassination Attempt
"Black clothes, black mask. He came towards me like a low-flying missile, a cannonball with bent knees".
In "Knife – Thoughts on an Assassination Attempt", published earlier this year, Salman Rushdie writes autobiographically about the assassination attempt that took place during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York State in August 2022. Rushdie was stabbed, among other places, in the stomach, chest, and face in front of hundreds of witnesses in the audience. For a time, he hovered between life and death, lost sight in his right eye, and suffered permanent damage to his left hand.
The Accused
The accused, Hadi Matar, a US citizen from New Jersey, was overpowered and arrested at the crime scene. In an interview from prison, he explained that he disliked Rushdie and simultaneously praised Iran's deceased supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who issued a fatwa against the author in 1989.
Two Trials
Hadi Matar now faces two separate trials. One concerns attempted murder and assault and is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 15, at the Chautauqua County Court in New York State.
The other concerns terrorist crimes and will be heard in a federal court in the USA. According to the indictment, Hadi Matar attempted to carry out the death sentence that Khomeini issued against Rushdie in 1989. He is also suspected of supporting the Iran-backed Shia militia Hezbollah.
Postponed Process
The trial in Chautauqua County Court was originally scheduled to begin on January 8 but was postponed. The reason for the delay is that the defense needed time to read Rushdie's autobiography, "Knife – Thoughts on an Assassination Attempt", which serves as evidence in the case.
Born in 1947 in Bombay, India, into a Muslim family.
Grew up in the UK, educated in Cambridge. Currently resides in the USA.
Worked in advertising before achieving literary breakthrough with "Midnight's Children" in 1980. The book received several literary awards, including the Booker Prize. Other titles include "The Satanic Verses" (1989), "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" (2009), "Joseph Anton" (2012), "Quichotte" (2020), and "Victory City" (2023).
After "The Satanic Verses", Rushdie was forced to live with constant protection for nine years. The book was burned and banned in several countries.
Rushdie's latest work, "Knife – Thoughts on an Assassination Attempt", was published in April.
