The trial has begun in the United States for the man accused of attempting to murder Indian-born British novelist and controversial writer Salman Rushdie. In 2022, Rushdie was brutally stabbed in front of an audience while delivering a lecture in western New York.
On Tuesday, February 11, British news outlet BBC reported this information. According to the report, the trial of the accused began on Monday, during which lawyers presented their opening statements. It is expected that the 77-year-old Rushdie will testify during the trial of the accused, Hadi Matar. If he does, it will be the first time in more than two years that Rushdie comes face-to-face with his attacker.
The Booker Prize-winning author was about to speak on the safety of writers in August 2022 when Hadi Matar rushed onto the stage at the Chautauqua Institution amphitheater. Matar stabbed Rushdie more than 12 times in the neck, stomach, chest, hand, and right eye. As a result, Rushdie became partially blind, and one of his hands was permanently damaged.
Last year, the Indian-born British-American writer detailed the attack and his long, painful recovery in his memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. Rushdie had been concerned for his safety since 1989 when his novel The Satanic Verses sparked worldwide controversy.
Rushdie’s fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, published in 1988, led to global outrage. The following year, in 1989, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s execution. At that time, a bounty of $3 million was placed on his head, and this declaration remains in effect. As a result, Rushdie spent years in hiding. However, after Iran announced it would not enforce the fatwa, he resumed public life.
Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old resident of Fairview, New Jersey, has been charged with attempted murder and assault. However, he has pleaded not guilty.
Salman Rushdie, born Ahmed Salman Rushdie in 1947 in Mumbai to a Kashmiri Muslim family, gained literary fame with his second novel, Midnight’s Children, published in 1981. The book sold over a million copies in the UK alone.
His 1988 novel The Satanic Verses led to widespread protests and violence among Muslim communities worldwide. The book was banned in several countries, with India being the first to do so. After its publication, Rushdie had to remain in hiding for nearly a decade.