Salman Rushdie testified in the Buffalo federal trial of Hadi Matar, who stabbed him during a 2022 speaking event and left him blind in one eye. Rushdie described the attack in detail and said he had "no knowledge" of a direct link to the 1989 fatwa but admitted he had suspicions. Prosecutors say Matar was motivated by the fatwa and that investigators found materials tied to Hezbollah at his home; Matar already received a 25-year state sentence and now faces separate federal terrorism charges that could carry life imprisonment.
Salman Rushdie Testifies in Federal Terrorism Trial Over 2022 Knife Attack
Salman Rushdie lived in seclusion in London for a decade after the 1989 fatwa (Jacob King)
Novelist Salman Rushdie testified Thursday in the federal terrorism trial of Hadi Matar, the man accused of stabbing him at a New York cultural center in August 2022. The attack left Rushdie blind in one eye and prompted a separate state prosecution that resulted in a 25-year sentence for Matar.
What Rushdie Said in Court
Rushdie described the assault in detail, telling the courtroom that Matar stabbed him about 10 times with a six-inch blade as Rushdie prepared to speak at a free-speech event. He recounted the physical injuries and emotional impact of the attack during nearly an hour of testimony.
"I had no knowledge of that. I have my suspicions," Rushdie said when asked whether he believed the attacker had been motivated by the fatwa issued in 1989 by Ayatollah Khomeini over Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses.
Charges and Allegations
Prosecutors allege Matar was motivated by the 1989 fatwa and point to materials linked to Hezbollah found at his home, arguing those facts support federal terrorism charges. Investigators say some items recovered suggested an affinity for the pro-Iranian Lebanese movement that the United States designates as a terrorist organization.
Defense Position and Legal Context
Matar's defense lawyers maintain he did not act on behalf of any terrorist organization, acknowledging he may have been angered by what he and others regarded as the book's blasphemous content but denying organizational direction or support. The federal trial in Buffalo is separate from the earlier New York state conviction and focuses on terrorism-related counts and alleged material support.
If convicted on the federal charges, Matar faces a potential sentence of life in prison.
Background: After the 1989 fatwa, Rushdie spent about a decade living under protection and in seclusion in London. For roughly the two decades before the 2022 attack, he lived relatively normally in New York until the assault.
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