Rushdie, 77, spoke with composure and occasional humor as he recounted the harrowing moment when a man rushed at him during an event at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. The accused, 26-year-old Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and assault.
“I was aware of this person rushing at me from my right-hand side,” Rushdie testified, recalling the attack that left him with multiple injuries, including the loss of vision in his right eye. Initially mistaking the blows for punches, he soon realized he was being repeatedly stabbed. “A large quantity of blood was pouring out onto my clothes,” he said.
Matar, a US-Lebanese dual citizen, previously told the New York Post that he disliked Rushdie for allegedly insulting Islam. His defense team has not disputed his presence at the scene but argues that the prosecution has not proven intent beyond a reasonable doubt.
Rushdie, who spent years in hiding after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa over The Satanic Verses, was giving a talk on writer safety when he was attacked. The jury has not been presented with details of the fatwa.
During cross-examination, Rushdie dismissed suggestions that he had counted his stab wounds, stating, “I was otherwise occupied.” His remarks carried his trademark wit, even joking about his minor film appearances before stepping down.
If convicted, Matar faces up to 25 years in prison, alongside separate federal terrorism charges.
