Salman Rushdie Attacker Revealed

Earlier today author Salman Rushdie was brutally attacked in a terrifying incident on stage at an event in Chautauqua, New York:

Salman Rushdie Condition Unknown After Stabbing

While as of late afternoon on Friday Rushdie’s condition remains unconfirmed, authorities have identified a potential suspect.

Hadi Matar, a 24 year old from Fairview, N.J. was named by State Police Troop Commander Major Eugene J. Staniszewski at a press conference.

Twitter reports indicated that Matar’s social media accounts had shared images of the former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, among others:

Hadi Matar, Salman Rushdie's assailant, Facebook photos pic.twitter.com/vUnsqCgwK6

— ZiZi (@zizikhanoum) August 12, 2022

Rushdie had been the target of a “fatwa” from Khomeini years ago because his book, The Satanic Verses, was considered to be “blasphemous and insulting to Muslims.”

Several years ago, Iranian media outlets raised the bounty on Rushdie’s head to nearly $4 million, long after Khomeini’s death.

Despite the seeming connection between Matar’s apparent reverence for Khomeini and the attack on Rushdie, according to the police, they’re still working with FBI and local authorities to determine the motive for the stabbing.

Rushdie’s agent, Andrew Wylie, sent an update on his condition to NYT, saying Rushdie was on a ventilator and could not speak. “The news is not good," he said. "Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged."

— Josie Ensor (@Josiensor) August 12, 2022