The individual found guilty of attempting to murder well-known author and free speech champion, Salman Rushdie, has received his sentencing. On Friday, a judge in Chautauqua County, New York, issued the harshest possible punishment to the perpetrator, Hadi Matar. Matar viciously attacked Rushdie with a knife just before the author was scheduled to speak at a cultural gathering in New York state in 2022. Following the attack, Rushdie was initially in a critical state and tragically lost vision in his left eye.
In court, the judge addressed the convicted would-be killer, explaining the decision to deliver the maximum sentence sought by the prosecution for the February attempted murder verdict related to the assault at the Chautauqua Institution, a cultural hub in Western New York:
“It goes to the very heart of what our country stands for,” Judge Foley said.
He said a 25-year sentence was necessary to prevent Mr. Matar from committing additional attacks, whether against Mr. Rushdie or someone else.
As RedState wrote the day of the attempted murder:
Rushdie was stabbed in the neck and in the abdomen. He was airlifted to the hospital where he was undergoing surgery.
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Dr. Martin Haskell, who was present during the incident and provided immediate medical care on stage, described the injuries as “serious but recoverable,” which brought some relief.
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The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, calling for Rushdie’s death for writing his book, “The Satanic Verses,” which the Ayatollah declared blasphemous. Iran’s present “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Khameini reminded everyone in 2019 the fatwa was still on.
