The individual who was found guilty of attempting to harm well-known author and advocate for freedom of speech, Salman Rushie, has now received his punishment. Recently, in a court in Chautauqua County, New York, the judge issued the highest possible penalty to the assailant, Hadi Matar, who attacked Rushie with a knife multiple times in an effort to end his life, just as the author was about to speak at a cultural event in New York state in 2022. Initially, Rushdie was in critical condition, and the brutal assault resulted in him losing sight in his left eye.
During the sentencing, the judge explained to the individual convicted of attempted murder in February for the assault at the Chautauqua Institution, a cultural center in Western New York, why the complete sentence requested by the prosecutors was being imposed:
“It goes to the very heart of what our country stands for,” Judge Foley said.
He said a 25-year sentence was necessary to prevent Mr. Matar from committing additional attacks, whether against Mr. Rushdie or someone else.
As RedState wrote on Aug. 12, 2022, the day of the attempted murder:
Rushdie was stabbed in the neck and in the abdomen. He was airlifted to the hospital where he was undergoing surgery.
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The physician present in the audience who provided immediate medical attention on stage, Dr. Martin Haskell, characterized the injuries as “severe yet treatable,” which is a positive development.
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The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, calling for Rushdie’s death for writing his book, “The Satanic Verses,” which the Ayatollah declared blasphemous. Iran’s present “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Khameini reminded everyone in 2019 the fatwa was still on.
