Source Credit: AP NEWS
In 2022, Salman Rushdie was preparing to deliver a lecture in western New York when a man rushed toward him and stabbed the author in his hand as he raised it in self-defense. "After that there are many blows, to my neck, to my chest, to my eye, everywhere," Rushdie later recalled in a memoir. "I feel my legs give way, and I fall."
In the coming weeks, Rushdie is expected to return to the same county to testify as one of the first witnesses in the trial of Hadi Matar, the man accused of the attack. Jury selection is set for Tuesday, and Matar, 27, of Fairview, New Jersey, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault.
Rushdie’s memoir, detailing the assault and his recovery, could have been significant evidence for the trial. However, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt emphasized that this was not a case of a crime in a hidden location. "This is something that was recorded, it was witnessed live by thousands of people," Schmidt explained after a pretrial hearing.
Jurors will be shown video footage of the attack, along with still photos and other documentation. Schmidt stated that around 15 witnesses are expected to testify over the course of the trial, which could last several weeks.
Matar’s lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, has not yet disclosed his defense strategy but has defended Matar’s choice not to take a plea deal. "It’s about due process," Barone said. "It’s about receiving a fair trial. If someone wants to exercise those rights, they’re entitled to do that."
In a separate federal indictment, Matar faces charges related to terrorism. Federal authorities allege that Matar was influenced by the fatwa issued in 1989 by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which called for Rushdie’s death after the publication of The Satanic Verses, a book some Muslims considered blasphemous. The indictment claims Matar believed the fatwa was backed by Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon. However, this will be addressed in a separate trial in U.S. District Court in Buffalo, and Schmidt does not expect the state trial to delve into Matar’s potential motivations.
"This is a localized event. It’s a stabbing event," Schmidt said. "I don’t see a need to get into motive evidence to secure a conviction."
Barone, however, raised concerns about potential bias against Matar, who holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Lebanon. He urged for jurors to be screened for prejudice, pointing to the public discussions around the fatwa and its implications on Matar’s actions.
Matar has been held without bail since his arrest, after he was subdued by onlookers who rushed the stage during the lecture. Henry Reese, the event's moderator and co-founder of City of Asylum in Pittsburgh, was also injured during the attack.
Rushdie, who had spent years in hiding due to the fatwa, was severely injured, leaving him blind in one eye and with permanent hand damage. This trial will shed light on the details of that violent day and the legal process following it.
