The man accused of stabbing “Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie has pleaded not guilty in a New York court to counts of attempted murder and assault.
During an arraignment session, Hadi Matar’s counsel entered the plea on his behalf. Matar was dressed in a black and white jumpsuit and a white face mask when he appeared in court. In front of him, his hands were cuffed.
Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, was officially charged Saturday with attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt. According to Matar, he was arraigned Friday night and remanded without bail.
Matar is accused of assaulting Rushdie while the author was being presented at a Chautauqua Institute event on Friday.
Rushdie was seriously injured in the incident and is still hospitalized. According to Rushdie’s representative, the author is presently on a ventilator and unable to talk. Rushdie would very certainly lose one eye, he added, adding that the nerves in his arm had been “severed” and his liver had been “stabbed and injured.”
CORRECTION Assault on Salman Rushdie
Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, N.J., is removed off the stage as others tend to author Salman Rushdie, center right, at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, N.Y., on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022.
“We are collaborating closely with State Police, local law enforcement agencies, and federal law enforcement partners to properly develop the evidence,” Schmidt said on Saturday. “We have been in contact with our counterparts in the State of New Jersey, where the attacker is from, to share information and assist them in better understanding the planning and preparation that preceded the attack, so that we and the various agencies involved can determine what, if any, additional charges should be asserted.”
Matar was born in America to Lebanese parents who came from Yaroun, a border community in southern Lebanon, according to Mayor Ali Tehfe.
His birth occurred a decade after the publication of Rushdie’s 1988 book “The Satanic Verses,” which garnered death threats from Iran’s rulers decades ago.
The motivation for the assault remained unknown, according to State Police Maj. Eugene Staniszewski.
On Saturday, a spokesman from the Iran-backed Lebanese armed organization Hezbollah told Reuters that the group doesn’t “know anything” about the suspect and declined to comment.
Matar, like other guests, had secured a permission to access the Chautauqua Institution’s 750-acre grounds, according to Michael Hill, president of the institution.
Nathaniel Barone, the suspect’s attorney, said he was still collecting information and refused to comment. Authorities cordoned off Matar’s house.
Matar was brought to the Chautauqua County prison late Friday night from the New York State Police barracks in Jamestown, according to footage obtained by WNY News Now.
Many Muslims considered “The Satanic Verses” to be blasphemous, citing, among other things, a character as an affront to the Prophet Muhammad. The novel was outlawed in Iran, where late leader Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or decree, ordering Rushdie’s execution in 1989.
Iran’s theocratic government and state-run media provided no explanation for Friday’s attack. Some Iranians questioned by the Associated Press in Tehran cheered the assault on an author they feel has defiled the Islamic religion, while others were concerned that it may further isolate their nation.
As the author was being presented, an AP reporter saw the assailant rush Rushdie on stage and stab or strike him 10 to 15 times. Dr. Martin Haskell, one among those who raced to aid, termed Rushdie’s injuries as “severe but recoverable.”
Event moderator Henry Reese, 73, was also assaulted. He is a co-founder of an organization that provides residencies to authors suffering persecution. According to authorities, Reese received a face injury and was treated and discharged from the hospital. He and Rushdie intended to talk about the United States as a safe haven for authors and other artists in exile.
A state policeman and a county sheriff’s deputy were assigned to Rushdie’s speech, and the trooper, according to state police, made the arrest. However, after the assault, several longstanding visitors to the center questioned why there wasn’t better protection for the event, considering Rushdie’s decades of threats and a reward on his head giving more than $3 million to anybody who murdered him.
Rabbi Charles Savenor was among the approximately 2,500 individuals who attended Rushdie’s presentation.
The attacker rushed onto the platform “and began bashing on Mr. Rushdie ‘What’s going on?’ you wonder at first. In a matter of seconds, it became evident that he was being beaten “According to Savenor. He estimated that the onslaught lasted around 20 seconds.
A dramatic video of the attack’s aftermath was shared on social media.
Kathleen James, another witness, said that the perpetrator was clothed in black and wore a black mask.
“We suspected it was part of a publicity effort to highlight the author’s continued controversy. But it became clear in a matter of seconds “She said that that was not the case.
Spectators were hustled out of the outdoor amphitheater amid gasps.
The stabbing sent shockwaves from Chautauqua to the United Nations, which released a statement expressing U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ dismay and emphasizing that free speech and opinion should not be met with violence.
The Iranian delegation to the United Nations did not immediately react to a request for comment on Friday’s incident, which was the lead story on Iranian state television’s evening news show.
President Biden said in a statement Saturday that he and the first wife were “shocked and horrified” to hear of the assault, and that “all Americans and people across the globe are praying for his health and recovery.”
“Salman Rushdie, with his insight into people, unrivaled sense of narrative, and unwillingness to be intimidated or silenced, represents important, universal ideas. Truth. Bravery. Resilience. The capacity to freely express ideas, “In part, Biden said. “These are the foundations of every free and open society. And tonight, in conjunction with Rushdie and all others who fight for free speech, we reaffirm our dedication to those very American ideals.”
The incident was condemned as “reprehensible” by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
“This act of violence is abhorrent,” stated Sullivan in a statement. “We are grateful to decent individuals and first responders for assisting Mr. Rushdie so swiftly after the incident, as well as to law enforcement for its prompt and effective action, which is still continuing.”
Following the incident, New York Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted, “Our sympathies are with Salman and his loved ones.”
Rushdie has been a vocal advocate for free expression and liberal causes, and the literary community reacted angrily to what author and Rushdie acquaintance Ian McEwan called “an attack on freedom of thought and speech.”
In a statement, McEwan added, “Salman has been an inspired supporter of persecuted authors and journalists across the globe.” “He is a guy of enormous intellect and bravery, a fiery and generous soul, and he will not be discouraged.”
According to PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, the organization is unaware of any such act of violence against a literary writer in the United States. Rushdie was formerly the head of the organization, which campaigns for authors and free speech.
Following the publishing of “The Satanic Verses,” violent demonstrations erupted against Rushdie, who was born in India to a Muslim family.
In riots over the book, at least 45 people were murdered, including 12 in Rushdie’s birthplace of Mumbai. A Japanese translator of the book was stabbed to death in 1991, while an Italian translator escaped a knife assault. The book’s Norwegian publisher was shot three times in 1993 and survived.
Khomeini died the same year he issued the fatwa ordering Rushdie’s execution. Though Iran hasn’t concentrated on the writer in recent years, Iran’s current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, never issued his own fatwa revoking the directive.
Because of the murder threats and reward, Rushdie went into hiding under a British government security program that included a 24-hour armed guard. Rushdie reappeared from seclusion after nine years and cautiously started more public appearances, continuing his outspoken condemnation of religious fundamentalism in general.
Rushdie’s book, “Joseph Anton,” about the fatwa, was released in 2012. Rushdie’s alias was the inspiration for the title. During a New York address the same year the book was released, he said that terrorism was really the art of fear.
“The only way to beat it is to decide not to be scared,” he said.
Long after Khomeini’s proclamation, anti-Rushdie animosity persisted. According to the Index on Censorship, an organization that promotes free speech, money was donated as late as 2016 to increase the prize for his assassination.
An AP writer who went to the Tehran office of the 15 Khordad Foundation, which put up the millions for Rushdie’s reward, found it shuttered on Friday night, during the Iranian weekend. No one answered the phone at the provided number.
Rushdie rose to popularity with his Booker Prize-winning book “Midnight’s Children” in 1981, but his name became widely recognized following “The Satanic Verses.”
Rushdie was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2008 and was awarded a member of the Order of the Companions of Honor earlier this year, a royal honor for persons who have made a significant contribution to the arts, science, or public life.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival, one of the world’s greatest literary gatherings, which begins Saturday in Scotland, is urging guest writers to read a passage from Rushdie’s work at the outset of their presentations.
“We are impressed by his bravery and are thinking of him at this tough time,” said festival director Nick Barley. “This tragedy is a sad reminder of the frailty of what we hold dear, as well as a call to action: We will not be frightened by those who would use violence instead of speech.”
The Chautauqua Institution, located approximately 55 miles (89 kilometers) southwest of Buffalo in a rural part of New York, has functioned as a center for introspection and spiritual direction for more than a century. Visitors are not subjected to metal detectors or bag searches. Most folks leave their century-old cottage doors open at night.
The institution is well-known for its summer lecture series, where Rushdie has previously addressed.
A few hundred residents and tourists gathered for prayer, music, and a lengthy moment of silence during an evening vigil.
“Hate cannot win,” one guy yelled.