Man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie goes on trial

Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The trial of a man accused of stabbing renowned British Indian author Salman Rushdie on a New York stage in 2022 began Monday for opening statements in his attempted murder and assault trial.

Hadi Matar, 27, is accused of running onstage during an event featuring Rushdie and stabbing him in front of a large crowd at the Chautauqua Institute's amphitheater. Rushdie recovered but one of the stab wounds left him blind in one eye.

A jury was selected at the Chautauqua County Courthouse last week. Matar, of Fairview, N.J., faces 32 years in prison if convicted.

Matar faces separate federal terrorism-linked charges in Buffalo for allegedly providing assistance to the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. Matar grew up in Lebanon.

Rushdie for decades had faced death threats after he published the novel The Satanic Verses in 1988. Some Muslims considered the book, which Rushdie said was inspired by the life of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, blasphemous.

Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini called for his execution, issuing a $3 million fatwa on the author a year after The Satanic Verses was released. The fatwa forced Rushdie into hiding for a time when he was only seen in public with a security detail

In recent years, Rushdie said that he believed the threats had lessened, allowing him to lead a more normal life. Police said Matar told them initially that he did not have a motive for the attack.