9:50 pm - March 9, 2025
Sir Salman Rushdie, the renowned author of works like Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses, was the victim of a shocking and brutal attack on August 12, 2022, in Chautauqua, New York. The 77-year-old writer had just taken the stage to introduce a lecture on protecting writers’ safety when a masked man, later identified as 27-year-old Hadi Matar, stormed up the stairs and stabbed him repeatedly. Rushdie was left with life-threatening injuries, including a damaged liver, severed nerves, and blindness in one eye. Matar, now on trial for attempted murder and assault, has pleaded not guilty. The courtroom fell silent as the attacker uttered, “Free Palestine,” a phrase that has raised questions about his motives.
The attack unfolded with shocking speed. District Attorney Jason Schmidt described how Matar, wielding a knife, lunged at Rushdie with precision and relentlessness, stabbing him multiple times in the head, neck, abdomen, and thigh. The violence was so sudden that neither Rushdie nor Henry Reese, a fellow speaker sitting beside him, could immediately comprehend what was happening. Reese himself sustained minor injuries as he attempted to defend himself. Witnesses in the audience watched in horror as the attack unfolded, and it was only when bystanders rushed the stage to subdue Matar that the violence finally stopped. Police arrived shortly afterward and took Matar into custody. The courtroom was shown dramatic video footage and photographs of the assault, which captured the chaos and terror of that moment.
Rushdie’s long and storied career has been marked by both literary acclaim and political controversy. Born in India and later a British-American citizen, he gained global recognition for his Booker Prize-winning novel Midnight’s Children. However, his 1989 novel The Satanic Verses sparked widespread outrage in some Muslim communities, who deemed certain passages blasphemous. The backlash culminated in a fatwa, or religious edict, issued by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, calling for Rushdie’s death. For years, Rushdie lived in hiding under police protection, a period he later described as one of profound isolation and fear. Though Iran officially distanced itself from the fatwa in the late 1990s, allowing Rushdie to reclaim a sense of normalcy, the threat of violence never entirely disappeared.
The trial of Hadi Matar has brought these events into stark focus once again. Prosecutors argue that Matar meticulously planned the attack, having purchased a ticket to the event and traveled to Chautauqua with the sole intention of harming Rushdie. They emphasized the premeditated nature of the crime, pointing to Matar’s actions as deliberate and calculated. The prosecution also highlighted the broader implications of the attack, framing it as an assault not only on Rushdie but on the principles of free expression and intellectual freedom he has championed throughout his career. Rushdie himself is expected to testify during the trial, which is anticipated to last approximately 10 days.
The timing of the trial is poignant, coinciding with the 36th anniversary of the fatwa on February 14. This has led many to reflect on the enduring legacy of The Satanic Verses and the ongoing tensions between artistic freedom and cultural sensitivity. Rushdie’s memoir, Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder, published in 2024, offers a deeply personal account of the attack and his long, painful recovery. In it, he grapples with themes of resilience, vulnerability, and the power of words to provoke and inspire. The book has been widely praised for its candor and insight, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of a writer who has faced extraordinary challenges throughout his life.
As the trial progresses, jurors will weigh the evidence presented by both sides. While the prosecution has painted Matar as a calculating assailant, his defense team has yet to reveal its strategy. Questions remain about Matar’s motivations and whether he acted alone or as part of a larger movement. Regardless of the outcome, the attack on Salman Rushdie has reignited global conversations about the risks faced by writers who challenge societal norms and the importance of safeguarding free expression. For Rushdie, the ordeal has been a brutal reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring power of words to both unite and divide.