26-year-old Hadi Matar has been indicted for providing support to Hezbollah, as per a federal indictment revealed on Wednesday.
The individual accused of the stabbing incident involving Salman Rushdie, a prominent author known for advocating free speech, at a conference in western New York two years ago is now facing federal terrorism-related charges. Hadi Matar, 26, allegedly provided support to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, leading up to the attack on Mr. Rushdie. The incident occurred at the Chautauqua Institution during a literary and arts conference in August 2022, where Mr. Rushdie was stabbed multiple times, resulting in the loss of vision in one eye.
The recent indictment reveals that Mr. Matar offered “material support and resources” to terrorists, specifically himself, when he carried out the attack on Mr. Rushdie. In addition to the federal charges, Mr. Matar also faces separate charges of attempted murder and assault in Chautauqua County Court. His attorney, Nathaniel L. Barone II, has not provided any immediate comments on the case.
At the time of the attack, Mr. Matar was residing in New Jersey and working at a clothing store. He had immigrated to the United States from Lebanon during his childhood. Prior to the incident, Mr. Matar had become increasingly isolated and focused on Islam, taking up boxing shortly before traveling to western New York for the conference.
Mr. Matar attended Mr. Rushdie’s talk at Chautauqua after purchasing a ticket, and he proceeded to rush the stage and stab the author despite attempts by bystanders to intervene. The stabbing left Mr. Rushdie with severe injuries, prompting the legal actions against Mr. Matar for his alleged involvement in the incident.
Salman Rushdie had been living under a fatwa issued by the Iranian government in 1989, which called for his death due to the publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses,” a work that fictionalized elements of the Prophet Muhammad’s life. Following the fatwa, Mr. Rushdie spent years in seclusion in London under tight security before moving to New York City, where he had been leading a relatively normal life for the past two decades.
Mr. Rushdie documented the stabbing incident in his memoir titled “Knife,” released earlier this year, shedding light on the traumatic experience and its aftermath. The unveiling of the federal terrorism-related charges against Hadi Matar marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the attack on Salman Rushdie.
Source: The NY Times
