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| Photo Credit: AP. |
The assailant accused of severally stabbing the author of controversial novel “Satanic Verses” Salman Rushdie has been charged with attempted murder and assault at his court appearance and was denied bail.
A grand Jury
indicted Hadi Matar who appeared in a court hearing in Chautauqua County in New
York on Thursday following his fatal stabbing of the author, the Associated
Press reported. He pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.
Matar, 24
from Fairview, New Jersey is being held without bail after he was initially charged
with attempted murder and assault, according to Washington Examiner.
Secretary Blinken criticize Iran over Rushdie's attack
U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the Iranian government which has
so far celebrated the attack on Rushdie in a statement on Sunday, describing
Tehran’s reaction as “despicable,” according to The Associated Press. He
praised Rushdie’s work and indicated America’s commitment to the right to free
speech.
Where was Rushdie attacked?
Hadi Matar who
was taken into custody approached the author as he was about to deliver a
speech at the Chautauqua institution in New York and attacked him.
“We have
been in touch with our counterparts in the State of New Jersey, where the
attacker is from, to share information and assist them in helping us to better
understand the planning and preparation which preceded the attack so that we
and the different agencies involved can determine what, if any, additional
charges should be asserted,” the Chautauqua County District Attorney Office
said in a statement, according to Washington Examiner. “We will try to be as
transparent as we can without compromising the case.”
Rushdie who
was stabbed in the eye was assisted by dozens of members of the audience who
gasped and rushed to the stage, a three-minute video of the incident reveals.
Other audience members surrounded the author and began administering first aid
as he lay in his pool of blood.
The attacker
confronted Rushdie on stage and punched or stabbed him 10 to 15 times as he was
being introduced, according to an Associated Press reporter who witnessed the
incident. The man was arrested as the 75-year-old author was pushed or fell to
the floor.
The
moderator at the event was also attacked and suffered a minor head injury,
police said, adding Rushdie was stabbed in the neck and later flown to a
hospital for treatment.
Rabbi
Charles Savenor who attended the event that hosted nearly 2,500 people said the
assailant ran onto the platform “and started pounding on Mr. Rushdie. At first
you’re like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then it became abundantly clear in a few
seconds that he was being beaten,” adding that the attack lasted about 20
seconds, The Associated Press reported.
So what with Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses"
Several Muslims view Rushdie’s 1988 book “The
Satanic Verses” as blasphemous. Violent protests have been held around the
world against the book
The novel
was banned in Iran, where the late Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini issued a 1985 fatwa, or edict, which called for Rushdie’s death.
A bounty of
over $6 million has also been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie, Washington
Examiner quoted the Index on censorship.
Rushdie was
placed on a British government protected program which included a round the
clock armed guard.