Author Salman Rushdie recounted the harrowing attack that led to him losing his right eye during a literary event. Rushdie described a scene of bloodshed as he was repeatedly stabbed, leaving him lying on the stage surrounded by a pool of blood. The assailant, Hadi Matar, is facing federal terrorism charges after being convicted in a New York State court for attempting to murder Rushdie in 2022.
Matar, a US citizen of Lebanese descent, carried out the attack in an attempt to enforce a fatwa issued against Rushdie in 1989 by Ayatollah Khomeini. Rushdie, a Booker Prize winner, had been in hiding under British government protection following the fatwa. Despite the injuries sustained during the attack, Rushdie continues to live in New York City and is a professor at a university.
During the trial, Rushdie revealed the extent of his injuries, including the loss of his right eye, damage to his left hand, and liver injuries. Prosecutors have accused Matar of attempting to support Hezbollah between September 2020 and August 2022. Matar’s defense claims he acted alone out of personal anger and not on behalf of any organization.
Rushdie, who was speaking at a literary event when he was attacked, has since written a book titled “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.” When questioned about his book “The Satanic Verses” potentially provoking the attack, Rushdie firmly stated that the book was not on trial, emphasizing that the focus should be on the perpetrator.
