A man was found guilty on federal terrorism charges Wednesday for the fatal stabbing of author Salman Rushdie in 2022. Rushdie had faced decades of death threats related to his novel “The Satanic Verses.”
The jury convicted Hadi Matar on all counts, including participation in cross-border terrorism.
A request for comment has been made to Matar’s lawyer.
Matar, 28, is currently serving a 25-year sentence in a New York state prison after his conviction for attempted murder stemming from the August 2022 attack. The federal charges could result in a life sentence.
Matar’s Defense: No Insight into His Mindset
Prosecutors suggested that Matar was inspired by Iran’s former supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, who issued a fatwa against Rushdie in 1989 over “The Satanic Verses.” Defense lawyer Nathaniel Barone argued that the prosecution lacked evidence regarding Matar’s mental state during the incident.
Matar declined to take the stand. Rushdie, however, testified, stating, “I can’t speak to his ambitions or goals, but the scars were evident on his body.”
Rushdie earned the prestigious Man Booker Prize in 1981 for “Midnight’s Children,” a work about India. This was followed by “The Satanic Verses” in 1988, which faced backlash for allegedly blasphemous content concerning Islam’s prophet Muhammad. The book incited protests across the Islamic world, resulting in the deaths of at least 45 people in related riots, alongside several attacks on translators and publishers.
Rushdie, originally from a Muslim background, expressed that the backlash was what he had anticipated, yet he lived in hiding for many years until the Iranian government distanced itself from Khomeini’s fatwas in 1998.
“For over two decades, I’ve been able to live publicly without hassle,” Rushdie stated during his trial in Buffalo, New York.
Nevertheless, the fatwa was never formally rescinded. In fact, Khomeini’s successor, Ali Khamenei, implied in 2017 that it would remain in force. An Iranian foundation even offered a reward exceeding $3 million for Rushdie’s assassination.
Prosecutor: Matar’s Communications Indicate Focus on Rushdie
Evidently, Matar frequently discussed his intentions regarding Rushdie on messaging platforms throughout 2021 and 2022. He expressed anger at feeling that Rushdie had insulted Islam, implying that Rushdie’s survival had encouraged further disrespect towards their faith. Some of Matar’s messages echoed sentiments from 2006 made by the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Matar, who was born in the U.S. and also holds Lebanese citizenship, had shown signs of support for Hezbollah, classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Photos found in Matar’s bedroom and on his computer reinforced this connection.
Prosecutor Timothy Lynch stated that Matar aimed to carry out the fatwa and wished to make it clear he was acting for Hezbollah.
Evidence revealed that Matar initially expressed a desire to “expose” Rushdie, then shifted to contemplating committing suicide after the attack. Lynch noted that Matar wrote a personal note expressing urgent intent: “I need to kill him as soon as possible.” Prosecutors characterized Matar’s actions as part of what he perceived to be a jihad.
By spring 2022, Matar indicated he had tracked Rushdie’s whereabouts and public appearances, eventually zeroing in on a lecture at the Chautauqua Institute in August 2022.
As Rushdie was being introduced, Matar climbed onto the stage and stabbed him 15 times, shocking the audience. Attendees, along with another speaker, rushed to assist Rushdie, while law enforcement quickly apprehended Matar after he was subdued by civilians.
In 2024, Rushdie published a memoir detailing the attack, and he returned to fiction in the subsequent year with “The Eleventh Hour.” He was honored by being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and received the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Lifetime Achievement Award in November.
