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Man Who Stabbed Salman Rushdie Was Trying to Carry Out Fatwa, Prosecutor Says

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Man Who Stabbed Salman Rushdie Was Trying to Carry Out Fatwa, Prosecutor Says

As a devoted cinema enthusiast and someone who values freedom of speech and artistic expression above all else, I was deeply disturbed by the news of the attack on Salman Rushdie in 2022. The fact that this heinous act was allegedly motivated by a decades-old fatwa issued against Rushdie for his controversial novel “The Satanic Verses” is both alarming and disheartening.

In Buffalo, New York: A man who inflicted grave injuries on writer Salman Rushdie during a violent knife assault was driven by the approval given by a Hezbollah leader to a decree demanding Rushdie’s demise, according to prosecutors, who unveiled terrorism-related accusations on Wednesday.

For the first time, the three-count indictment made public in the U.S. District Court of Buffalo provided insight into the possible motivation behind the 2022 assault on Salman Rushdie, the author of “The Satanic Verses.”

Hadi Matar, hailing from New Jersey as a U.S. citizen, was making an effort to fulfill a religious decree for the death of Salman Rushdie, as stated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Kruly. According to the prosecutor’s explanation, Matar held the conviction that this fatwa, initially declared in 1989, received support from the militant group Hezbollah based in Lebanon. Furthermore, Matar believed the call for Rushdie’s death was validated by a speech given by Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s secretary-general, in 2006.

I strongly believe that Hadi Matar’s alleged attempt on Salman Rushdie’s life in New York during the year 2022 was an appalling act of terrorism. This heinous deed was reportedly carried out in the name of Hezbollah, a notorious terrorist organization that is allied with the Iranian regime. As someone who values the sanctity of human life and cherishes the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution, I am deeply disturbed by such actions. The United States Department of Justice shares my sentiments and will relentlessly pursue those who commit violence on behalf of terrorist groups, thereby threatening the fundamental liberties we hold dear.

Matar entered not guilty pleas for the new federal charges against him. These charges accuse him of committing acts of terrorism that crossed international borders, as well as supporting and trying to aid terrorists and a terrorist group.

“The investigation into this matter has been ongoing for the past two years, likely involving various law enforcement agencies from multiple countries and numerous individuals,” attorney Nathaniel Barone stated following the arraignment. He added that the federal case would be significantly more intricate than the state charges, which primarily revolve around the assault on Rushdie during his lecture at Chautauqua Institution in August 2022.

“Federally, you’re looking at more of conspiracies,” the lawyer said.

Matar, he said, “plans on proceeding with a vigorous defense and maintain his innocence.”

At the age of 26, Matar has been kept in custody without bail since the incident. During this attack, he repeatedly stabbed Rushdie over a dozen times in front of an astounded crowd of around 1,500 people. One of Rushdie’s eyes lost sight due to the knife injuries. The event’s moderator, Henry Reese, was also injured before the bystanders successfully restrained the attacker.

“The defendant made a trip to New York’s western district with the plan to end another person’s life. But thanks to the quick actions of bystanders, the defendant failed to carry out his lethal intent.”

Rushdie detailed the attack and his long and painful recovery in a memoir published in April.

I’ve been following the developments in the Matar case with great interest. Recently, Matar turned down a proposal from state prosecutors to reduce his potential prison sentence if he confessed to both state and upcoming federal charges. Consequently, these two cases will now be tried separately. The selection of the jury for the state trial is scheduled for October 15th.

A detention hearing in the federal case is scheduled for Aug. 7.

In the late 1980s, Rushdie went into hiding for several years following a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran. This decree, announced in 1989, demanded Rushdie’s death due to his controversial novel “The Satanic Verses,” which Khomeini deemed blasphemous. Rushdie returned to public life towards the end of the 1990s.

Matar was born in the United States, yet he possesses dual citizenship in Lebanon, a country where his parents were born. Before the incident, he resided in Fairview, New Jersey. His mother has expressed concern as she observed her son becoming increasingly introverted and irritable following a visit to Lebanon in 2018 to see his father.

I have pondered over this event and based on my understanding and personal experiences, I believe there is a need for heightened security measures when it comes to individuals like Salman Rushdie who continue to face threats to their lives due to controversial works they have produced.

The probe into Rushdie’s stabbing examined to some extent if Matar was working alone or in collaboration with militant or religious organizations.

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2024-07-25 17:06

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