A New Jersey man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie has been newly charged with attempting to provide support to Hezbollah.
According to The Associated Press, an unsealed indictment in the U.S. District Court in Buffalo has accused Hadi Matar of trying to provide material support to Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon and backed by Iran. The indictment includes charges of committing terrorism transcending national boundaries and providing material support to terrorists.
Although the specific evidence linking Matar to the group was not disclosed in the indictment, Matar is scheduled to appear to face these new charges, with his attorney stating that he plans to deny the accusations and proceed with a rigorous defense.
Matar’s federal charges stem from the incident in August 2022 when he stabbed Rushdie multiple times during a public event. Rushdie sustained several stab wounds in the attack.
Matar, a 26-year-old with dual Lebanese citizenship, was initially charged with attempted murder and assault following the attack on Rushdie. Matar had pleaded not guilty to these charges and has been in custody since then.
Reportedly, Matar’s behavior changed after a visit to his father in Lebanon in 2018, according to his mother. He recently turned down a plea deal from state prosecutors that would have led to a reduced prison sentence, opting for separate trials instead.
Salman Rushdie has faced threats to his life since 1989 when Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa over his novel The Satanic Verses, prompting widespread protests. Rushdie lived under British government protection for years due to these threats.
The Satanic Verses remains a highly controversial topic within Islam, with ongoing tensions surrounding its publication, as noted by Ahab Bdaiwi, an expert in Islamic Thought and History. Rushdie’s case underscores the ongoing debate over freedom of expression and the protection of authors and artists.