Salman Rushdie attack suspect 'changed a lot' after Lebanon visit, says Hadi Matar's mother
Salman Rushdie
Hadi Matar, the man who is accused of attacking British author Salman Rushdie was apparently "changed" after a Middle East trip, his Lebanese-born mother Silvana Fardos said while interacting with Britain's Daily Mail newspaper on Sunday (August 14).
Fardos, who hails from Fairview in New Jersey, described her 24-year-old son as "a moody introvert". She further stated that Matar was increasingly fixated on Islam after the visit to see his estranged father.
"One time he argued with me asking why I encouraged him to get an education instead of focusing on religion," she told the website.
"He was angry that I did not introduce him to Islam from a young age," she said in the interview.
ALSO READ |Iran responds to Salman Rushdie's stabbing: Denies involvement but blames writer for the attack
Matar was arrested at the scene where the 75-year-old writer was attacked. Rushdie was stabbed in the neck last Friday on a stage at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state during a literary event.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
The alleged attackerwas charged with attempted murder and assault but he pleaded not guilty. Currently, he is being held without bail.
Reacting to the incident, Fardos said she was "shell shocked" when she got to know about the incident from one of her twin 14-year-old daughters.
ALSO READ |Salman Rushdie on ‘long road to recovery’, says his agent
"I just cannot believe he was capable of doing something like this. He was very quiet, everyone loved him," she said,adding that her son "changed a lot" after his trip to Lebanon.
"I was expecting him to come back motivated, to complete school, to get his degree and a job, but instead he locked himself in the basement," she said.
"I couldn't tell you much about his life after that because he has isolated me since 2018and also said little to the rest of his family for months. He sleeps during the day and wakes and eats during the night," she said.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.