A person who allegedly stabbed Sir Salman Rushdie has reportedly mentioned he did not suppose the author would survive.
Hadi Matar, 24, denies fees of tried homicide and assault after the writer was critically injured as he was about to offer a chat in Chautauqua, New York state, final Friday.
The 75-year-old Indian-born Briton has had loss of life threats for many years since Iran’s then chief Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, in 1989 calling for Sir Salman to be killed.
It got here after his 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses, was seen as blasphemous by some Muslims.
Speaking to the New York Post from Chautauqua County Jail, Matar mentioned of Rushdie: “When I heard he survived, I was surprised, I guess.”
He additionally mentioned: “I don’t like the person. I don’t think he’s a very good person. I don’t like him. I don’t like him very much.
“He’s somebody who attacked Islam, he attacked their beliefs, the assumption techniques.”
According to the Post, Matar went on: “I respect the ayatollah. I think he’s a great person. That’s as far as I will say about that.” He famous he solely “read a couple pages” of Sir Salman’s controversial novel.
He wouldn’t say if he was impressed by the late ayatollah, citing a warning by his lawyer.
Sir Salman was stabbed about 12 occasions, together with within the face and neck, as he was launched on the Chautauqua Institution, mentioned native officers.
A preliminary assessment of Matar’s social media confirmed he had sympathies for Shia extremism and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, in line with NBC News, which cited a legislation enforcement official with direct information of the investigation.
The accused, from Fairview in New Jersey, who has appeared in courtroom, denied being involved with the Revolutionary Guard, and mentioned he was impressed to go to Chautauqua after seeing a tweet saying Sir Salman’s go to someday within the winter.
He described how he took a bus to Buffalo the day earlier than he allegedly stabbed Rushdie, after which took a taxi to Chautauqua.
“It’s a nice place,” he mentioned, referring to the establishment.
“I was hanging around pretty much. Not doing anything in particular, just walking around,” he added, saying he slept within the grass on Thursday night time. “I was just outside the whole time.”
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Iran’s international ministry has mentioned the author introduced the stabbing assault that left him with “life-changing” accidents on himself.
One stab punctured his eye and one other punctured his liver, the Chautauqua County district lawyer’s workplace mentioned.
Sir Salman was additionally stabbed elsewhere in his stomach and chest.
His son mentioned on Sunday that his father has been “able to say a few words” and retains his “usual feisty and defiant sense of humour”.
Zafar Rushdie mentioned Sir Salman remained in a “critical condition” however was taken off a ventilator on Saturday.
Police mentioned the occasion’s moderator, Henry Reese, suffered a minor head harm after additionally being attacked.
Source: information.sky.com”