Salman Rushdie

Indian-born British novelist Salman Rushdie was subjected to a violent attack on August 12, 2022, while preparing to deliver a public lecture in Chautauqua, New York. He was stabbed multiple times by Hadi Matar, an assailant who was immediately apprehended. The attack left Rushdie critically wounded, requiring hospitalization and resulting in permanent injuries, including the loss of sight in one eye and the use of one hand. This event occurred nearly thirty-five years after the publication of his novel, The Satanic Verses, which led to a death threat from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. For many years, Rushdie lived under threat and with significant security measures. The assailant, Hadi Matar, was later convicted of attempted murder and assault, receiving a lengthy prison sentence. Matar also faced federal charges related to terrorism. Rushdie's memoir about the incident, "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder," was published in 2024.

Salman Rushdie has lived under the shadow of assassination threats since 1989, a year after his novel "The Satanic Verses" was published. The book drew condemnation from hardline Shia Muslims, leading Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to issue a fatwa calling for Rushdie's death and placing a substantial bounty on him. This decree forced Rushdie into years of hiding and necessitated stringent security. The threat extended to those involved with the book; Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator of "The Satanic Verses," was murdered in 1991, and the Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was also attacked. Although Iran's government later distanced itself from the fatwa in 1998, the bounty remained, and in 2017, the Supreme Leader reaffirmed that the edict was still in effect.

On August 12, 2022, as Rushdie was about to speak at the Chautauqua Institution about the U.S. as a refuge for persecuted writers, an attacker, identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar, rushed the stage and stabbed him repeatedly. The interviewer, Henry Reese, who was also on stage, sustained injuries during the assault. Rushdie suffered severe wounds to his abdomen, neck, eye, chest, and thigh. He was airlifted to a hospital and underwent surgery. Initially placed on a ventilator and unable to speak, Rushdie's condition gradually improved, though he faced significant long-term consequences, including permanent loss of vision in one eye and impaired use of one hand. The assailant was apprehended at the scene by law enforcement.

Hadi Matar was charged with attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault in New York state court. He pleaded not guilty, but was later convicted by a jury in February 2025 and sentenced to 25 years in prison. In addition to state charges, Matar was indicted on federal charges, including attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, with authorities suggesting the attack was motivated by the long-standing fatwa against Rushdie and influenced by extremist groups. Meanwhile, Rushdie began a long recovery, expressing gratitude for his survival. He appeared in an interview in February 2023, speaking about his experience. His memoir detailing the attack, "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder," was released in April 2024.