Salman Rushdie to Confront Attacker in New York Court

 

# **Salman Rushdie to Confront Attacker in New York Court**  

Salman Rushdie, the British-American author, is set to face Hadi Matar, the man accused of attempting to kill him, in a highly anticipated court hearing in New York on Tuesday.  

## **Rushdie’s First Meeting with His Alleged Attacker**  

New York District Attorney Jason Schmidt plans to call Rushdie as a witness during the trial. The author himself wrote about this possibility in his book *"Knife,"* published last year, in which he detailed the attempted attack. Matar’s lawyer, however, has denied that his client intended to kill Rushdie.  

The trial is expected to last between one to ten days. Prosecutors will present video footage and photographic evidence from the day of the attack, which ended when bystanders tackled Matar and restrained him until the police arrived.  

## **Federal Charges and Allegations of Terrorism**  

Beyond the state charges, U.S. federal authorities have accused Matar of acting under the influence of a terrorist organization’s fatwa calling for Rushdie’s assassination. Matar is also facing federal charges, including:  

- **International terrorism**  

- **Providing material support to terrorists**  

- **Attempting to support a terrorist organization**  

A separate trial for these charges will take place in Buffalo’s U.S. District Court.  

## **Rushdie’s History with the Fatwa**  

Rushdie spent years in hiding after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa against him on February 14, 1989, following the publication of *"The Satanic Verses,"* a novel deemed blasphemous by many Muslims. Though Iran officially revoked the fatwa in 1998, extremist groups continued to endorse it.  

Matar, a Fairview, New Jersey resident, allegedly stabbed Rushdie multiple times in August 2022 while the author was preparing to give a lecture in New York. The attack left Rushdie blind in his right eye and caused severe nerve damage to his left hand.  

As the trial unfolds, it will be closely watched worldwide, highlighting ongoing debates around freedom of expression, religious extremism, and security threats against public figures.  

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