Who is Hadi Matar? American-Lebanese man sentenced to 25 years in prison for stabbing Salman Rushdie
The brutal attack left the popular author blind in one eye and seriously injured as he was stabbed over a dozen times in the head and torso. World
American-Lebanese man Hadi Matar, who stabbed award-winning writer Salman Rushdie, was found guilty on Friday (May 16) of attempting to kill the “Satanic Verses” author.
The court sentenced Matar to 25 years in prison, the maximum for an attempt to murder. The 27-year-old was convicted in February for stabbing Rushdie on stage during a 2022 lecture in western New York.
The brutal attack left the popular author blind in one eye and seriously injured as he was stabbed over a dozen times in the head and torso.
Who is Hadi Matar?
Matar, 27, holds dual United States and Lebanese citizenship and attacked Rushdie after being motivated by a 2006 speech in which a Hezbollah leader endorsed a decades-old fatwa.
)
Trisha Krishnan shares warm moment with Vijay’s family during Tamil Nadu CM swearing-in ceremony
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Can Keir Starmer survive as UK PM amid leadership crisis in Labour Party? Possible scenarios EXPLAINED
)
BLACKPINK's Lisa to perform at FIFA World Cup opening ceremony alongside Katy Perry, Tyla and more
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Vijay goes off-script before reading formal oath of Tamil Nadu CM, jubilant fans cheer every word | WATCH top 5 moments
)
Indian IT body asks govt to issue official work-from-home advisory after PM Modi's call for 'austerity measures'
)
All eyes on modern look: Vijay chooses black pantsuit over traditional shirt-veshti at TN CM oath ceremony
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'He is alive but...': Netanyahu issues BIG statement about Mojtaba Khamenei, his whereabouts; admits Israel and US failed to foresee Hormuz crisis
)
Pak Army chief says last year’s conflict with India was ‘battle of two ideologies’, claims strategy superiority
)
Why was a 22-foot gold statue of Trump unveiled at his Florida golf resort?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet Top 5 Batters Fastest to 100 T20 Sixes
)
Iran mulls taking full control of all 7 undersea internet cables passing through Strait of Hormuz
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (May 11-17, 2026): Kartavya to Dhurandhar: The Revenge- 8 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
North Korea amends constitution, mandates nuclear strike if Kim Jong Un is assassinated: Report
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
7 reasons why China is mass-producing Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter jets faster than ever
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
UFO Files: Pentagon launches new portal (WAR.GOV/UFO) with 162 declassified files
)
'Love is always louder': Trisha's first post after Vijay is sworn-in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
)
Fashion statement or food waste? Viral bread dress at African Choice Awards 2026 sparks debate
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Flight Deck Boots': Why USS Abraham Lincoln sailors wear extremely heavy shoes
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Pad Eyes': Why the USS Abraham Lincoln deck is covered in tiny holes
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why defense analysts believe China’s Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter program has entered a dangerous new era
)
Iran claims US F-35 Lightning II fighter jet declared mid-air emergency near Strait of Hormuz – What we know
)
Gold Gala 2026: Priyanka Chopra Jonas stuns at the red carpet in vintage chikankari sculptural gown | See pics
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
WWE Backlash 2026 Full Results: Reigns beats Fatu; 'John Cena Classic' revealed
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Blast Deflectors': What stops the USS Abraham Lincoln deck from melting away
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Draft Limits': Why the USS Abraham Lincoln cannot enter most ports
)
‘Curb fuel use, avoid foreign travel and buying gold,’ PM Modi appeals nation to help tide over crisis
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Hydraulic Arms': How the USS Abraham Lincoln pops up its emergency net
)
'I don't like it...': Trump rejects Iran's peace proposal, issues stark warning: War to restart soon?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Gore-Tex': How the USS Abraham Lincoln crew survives icy Arctic winds
)
Epstein dinner to 50 Cent relationship: Chelsea Handler's old controversies resurface after Kevin Hart roast
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many J-20 fighter jets are currently operational in China’s air force
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
‘Radar blind spot’: Can the F-35’s advanced radars see China’s J-20 fighter jet coming?
)
Elon Musk's Neuralink is building a robot that can reach any part of the brain
Iran's then-leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa against the writer in 1989, calling for his death over supposed blasphemy in his novel “The Satanic Verses”. Khomeini claimed the book insulted Islam and announced a $2.8 million bounty for killing Rushdie.
In 2022, Matar attacked Rushdie on the Chautauqua Institution’s stage when the author was being introduced to the audience. He stabbed the Indian-born British-American author multiple times in the head, neck and torso.
Also read | Salman Rushdie's attacker came 'dangerously close' to killing Satanic Verses author: Prosecutor
Days after the stabbing, Matar told The New York Post in a jailhouse interview that he attacked Rushdie because he’s “someone who attacked Islam, he attacked their beliefs, the belief systems.” He had travelled from his home in New Jersey after seeing the advertisement for the event, where Rushdie was going to be present, because he disliked him.
The brutal stabbing incident left Rushdie with life-threatening injuries, due to which he was blinded in his right eye and sustained damage to his liver and intestines, which required surgery and months of recovery.
Watch | USA: Constitutional crisis looms over deportations, US court demands due process
Matar was also found guilty of attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree for stabbing Henry Reese, who was also present on the stage with Rushdie for conducting the talks. Reese is the co-founder of Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum, a non-profit organisation that helps exiled writers.
