Hadi Matar, a U.S.-born Muslim of Lebanese descent who attacked author Salman Rushdie multiple times during a public lecture in Chautauqua, western New York, in August 2022, has been found guilty by federal court of attempting to carry out an Islamic fatwa and providing material support to Hezbollah.
The attack left Rushdie blind in one eye. Matar, now 28 years old, was convicted on Wednesday of three charges: attempting to execute a fatwa issued by Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, which called for Rushdie’s death due to his novel The Satanic Verses; committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries; and providing material support to terrorists.
Matar is already serving a 25-year prison sentence from a state court conviction last year. Prosecutors argued that Matar was inspired by the fatwa and Hezbollah’s ideology, with his writings referencing “Jihad” and the phrase “need to kill him [Rushdie] ASAP.” Federal Prosecutor Timothy Lynch stated that Matar aimed to be “forever revered as a Hezbollah martyr.”
Matar faces up to life in prison in federal court. His sentencing is scheduled for November 3. The case underscores the enduring influence of Islamic fatwas issued decades ago and the role of Iran-backed terrorist groups like Hezbollah in enabling global terrorism.
