Salman Rushdie attacker found guilty of attempted murder, assault
New York: Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old from New Jersey, has been found guilty of attempted murder and assault for the stabbing attack on British-Indian author Salman Rushdie. The verdict was delivered by a jury in Chautauqua County Court, New York, after a two-week trial.
The attack, which took place in August 2022 during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, left Rushdie with severe injuries, including damage to his liver, permanent vision loss in one eye, and paralysis in one hand due to nerve damage. Matar also injured interviewer Henry Reese, who sustained a minor head injury during the assault.
Matar now faces over 30 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for April 23, 2025. In addition to state charges, he faces federal accusations of providing material support to Hezbollah, a group designated as a terrorist organization by multiple countries.
Rushdie, 77, testified during the trial, recalling the terrifying moment when Matar charged at him. He described the attack as targeted and relentless, with 15 stab wounds inflicted across his body, including his eye, neck, chest, and thigh.
The attack comes more than three decades after Rushdie faced a death fatwa from Iran’s Supreme Leader over his novel The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims considered blasphemous. Though Rushdie believed threats against him had diminished in recent years, the incident proved otherwise.
Matar, who pleaded not guilty, declined to testify during the trial. His defense argued that there was insufficient evidence to prove intent to kill. However, prosecutors presented slow-motion video footage of the attack, emphasizing the deliberate nature of the assault.
Matar, born in Fairview, New Jersey, to Lebanese immigrant parents, had previously expressed admiration for Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini and claimed to have read only a few pages of The Satanic Verses.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
