In 2022, Salman Rushdie was moments away from delivering a lecture in western New York when a man charged at him, stabbing the author in the hand as he attempted to defend himself.
“After that there are many blows, to my neck, to my chest, to my eye, everywhere,” Rushdie recounted in his memoir. “I feel my legs give way, and I fall.”
Rushdie is now set to return to the same New York county to testify as one of the first witnesses in the trial of Hadi Matar, the man accused of attacking him. Jury selection began Tuesday. Matar, 27, of Fairview, New Jersey, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault.
Under different circumstances, Rushdie’s book, which details the attack and his recovery, might serve as critical evidence in the August 12, 2022, assault that left the 77-year-old blind in one eye and with permanent damage to his hand.
“This isn’t a back-alley event that occurs unwitnessed in a dark alley,” said Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt. “This is something that was recorded, it was witnessed live by thousands of people.”
Jurors will review video footage of the attack, alongside photos and documentation, with testimony from an estimated 15 witnesses. Judge David Foley stated that once jury selection is completed, the trial is expected to last up to a week and a half.
Matar’s attorney, Nathaniel Barone, has not revealed the defense strategy but has pushed back against criticism for rejecting a plea deal.
“That’s not what this is about. It’s about due process,” Barone said. “It’s about receiving a fair trial … If someone wants to exercise those rights, they’re entitled to do that.”
A separate federal indictment alleges that Matar was motivated by a terrorist organization’s endorsement of a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death. He faces additional charges, including terrorism transcending national boundaries, providing material support to terrorists, and attempting to support a terrorist organization. A federal trial will be scheduled in Buffalo.
During jury selection, Foley asked prospective jurors whether they could fairly consider a case involving someone of Muslim descent or strong religious beliefs. All affirmed they could, though finding jurors without pre-formed opinions has proven difficult.
Nearly all 27 prospective jurors screened Tuesday acknowledged prior knowledge of the attack, with several admitting their opinions were unlikely to change. Matar’s attorney unsuccessfully sought to move the trial out of Chautauqua County, citing pretrial publicity and potential bias among the predominantly white rural population.
Rushdie lived in hiding for years after Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa in 1989 over his novel The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims deem blasphemous. The federal indictment claims Matar believed the fatwa was supported by the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah and endorsed in a 2006 speech by its then-leader Hassan Nasrallah.
However, jurors in this case are unlikely to hear about the fatwa, as Schmidt does not plan to introduce Matar’s potential motive as evidence.
“From my standpoint, this is a localized event. It’s a stabbing event. It’s fairly straightforward,” Schmidt stated. “I don’t really see a need to get into motive evidence.”
Barone insists jurors should still be screened for bias, given prior discussions about the fatwa in earlier proceedings.
“They’ve talked about the reason why this alleged crime supposedly occurred was because of this book involving Muslims,” Barone said. “So it’s kind of like the barn door’s been opened.”
Matar, born in the U.S. with dual citizenship in Lebanon, has been held without bail since his arrest. Onlookers at the event subdued him after he attacked Rushdie and also wounded event moderator Henry Reese, co-founder of City of Asylum in Pittsburgh.
Source: Swifteradio.com
