Why did Hadi Matar stab Salman Rushdie on August 12, 2022 at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York?
At the time of writing of this report, Salman Rushdie is on ventilator hours after being stabbed in Western New York. According to the New York Times, as a result of the attack, Rushdie liver was stabbed and damaged, the nerves in his arm severed and he will likely lose one eye
Hadi Matar is suspected to have attacked and stabbed Salman Rushdie in the neck at 11 a.m at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York. Mr. Rushdie has been attacked while onstage to give a lecture.
Before the attack, celebrated author Salman has long faced death threats. He had spent years in hiding after the leadership of Iran called for his death following the publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses’.
Why did Hadi Matar stab Salman Rushdie?
At the time of writing of this report, a motive for Hadi Matar attacking Salman Rushdie is unclear and has not yet been established. New York Times reports that local police have reached out to the F.B.I. for help in identifying Hadi Matar’s motives and background.
24-year-old Hadi Matar was born in California, but recently moved to New Jersey, according to NBC NewYork. His last listed address was in Fairview, a Bergen County borough just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.
A preliminary law enforcement review of Hadi Matar’s social media accounts has shown he is sympathetic to Shia extremism and to the Iranian government group, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps causes. NBC adds that even though there are no definitive links to the IRGC, initial assessment indicates he is sympathetic to the group.