InsideLiterature'sFinest

By Saul Robles

On Friday, a jury convicted a New Jersey man of attempted murder and assault for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. The attack happened onstage and left the world-famous novelist with permanent injuries, serving as a stark reminder of the dangers writers still face today.

Hadi Matar, 27, was found guilty by a Chautauqua County jury. Free-speech advocates have called the conviction an important moment—a reminder that writers and artists who challenge certain beliefs often put themselves at risk.

According to prosecutors, Matar stormed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution on August 12, 2022, right as Rushdie was preparing to speak. He stabbed the 77-year-old author more than a dozen times while the audience watched in shock. Rushdie lost vision in one eye and sustained severe nerve damage to his hand.

During the trial, Rushdie took the stand and recounted what happened. “I saw him coming toward me very fast,” he said. “I thought he was going to punch me, but instead he began stabbing me repeatedly.” After hearing the evidence, the jury convicted Matar on both charges.

The event moderator, Henry Reese, was also injured when he tried to help. His wounds weren’t life-threatening, but his role was mentioned throughout the trial.

Matar’s defense team claimed prosecutors hadn’t proven he actually meant to kill Rushdie—that his intent wasn’t clear. But the jury didn’t buy it. They deliberated for less than two hours before reaching their verdict.

Matar faces sentencing later this year. In New York, second-degree attempted murder can mean up to 25 years behind bars. He’s already received the maximum sentence—that happened back in May 2025.

The stabbing brought back memories of 1989, when Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death over his novel The Satanic Verses. That decree forced the author into hiding for years. While it was eventually softened, the threat of violence has followed Rushdie throughout his career.

PEN America, a statement saying the conviction “reaffirms that violence can never be the answer to ideas.” (Guilty verdict in assault on Salman Rushdie reaffirms that violence can never be the answer to ideas, 2025). The organization stressed how important it is to protect writers who face threats. The Authors Guild also weighed in, calling the attack an assault on free speech and praising Rushdie’s decades-long defense of creative freedom (Authors Guild statement on the stabbing of author Salman Rushdie 2022).

Since the attack has happened, Rushdie hasn’t retreated from public life. He wrote about the experience in his 2024 memoir and is featured in a new documentary called Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie, which premiered at Sundance this year.