New York, Aug 18 : The man who attacked Salman Rushdie during a performance during an event in New York has said he was “surprised” to discover that the famous Indian-born author was alive after the attack. Hadi Matar 24 Hadi Matar, 24, said Rushdie 75 was “someone who was a savior against Islam” however, he did not prove the fact that his actions were motivated by the fatwa that was issued by Iran in the 1980s, according to the DPA news agency.
Matar has pleaded not guilty through his attorney to the charges arising from the assault.He is currently in Chautauqua County Jail, in New York state.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
In an interview with the New York Post in a video interview, he said: “When I learned that he survived I was astonished I suppose.”
Matar said he originally had thought of attending the concert at the Chautauqua Institution after he saw an announcement on Twitter about Rushdie’s appearance.
“I do not like this person.I don’t think he’s great person.I don’t like him too often.He was a person who took on Islam, he attacked their beliefs, their beliefs systems.”
Rushdie published his most famous novel “The Satanic Verses” in 1988, which resulted in the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issuing a fatwa, or edict calling for his execution in 1989.
However, Matar claimed to that the New York Post he had only read “a couple of pages” of the book and did not mention if the fatwa had influenced him.
“I am a fan of the Ayatollah.I believe he’s a wonderful person.That’s all I can say about it,” he said.
The moderator of the event stated that his focus is on the writer “himself and also what he does in the world”.
Despite the “life-changing” injuries the writer has maintained his “usual fierce and feisty sense of humor” according to his family stated.
The patient suffered from an injured liver as along with injured nerves in an eye and arm However, he was removed from the ventilator on August 13.
.
