Rushdie stabbing trial opens in New York

Shafaq News/ Two years after attempting to murder author Salman Rushdie, the trial of defendant Hadi Matar will begin on Tuesday in New York.
Jury selection will take place at Chautauqua County Court, where Matar, who has been in custody for nearly two years, faces three charges, including "foreign support," referring to the Lebanese group Hezbollah. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of "attempted murder" and "assault." If convicted, Matar could face up to 25 years in prison.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said after a pre-trial hearing, "What happened was recorded and witnessed by thousands of people live." About 15 witnesses, including Rushdie himself, are expected to testify during the trial, which could last several weeks.
The Rushdie Attack
On August 12, 2022, Matar, 27, a New Jersey resident of Lebanese descent, stormed the stage during a literary event in Chautauqua, upstate New York, where Rushdie was speaking. He lunged at Rushdie and stabbed him approximately 10 times in the neck, face, and abdomen before being subdued. The attack left the Indian-British novelist blind in one eye and unable to use one of his hands.
Since 1989, Rushdie has lived under the threat of a fatwa calling for his death, issued by Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses, which is considered deeply offensive by many Muslims.
The book presents a fictionalized version of the life of the Prophet Muhammad. One section of the novel refers to "The Satanic Verses," offering an alternative narrative about how certain verses in the Quran were revealed, suggesting they may have been influenced by Satan.