Iranian Newspaper Praises Salman Rushdie’s Attacker ‘A THOUSAND BRAVOS’ https://www.thedailybeast.com/irani...man-rushdie-by-suspect-hadi-matar-in-new-york One media outlet applauded the man who stabbed Salman Rushdie, saying “the hand of the man who tore the neck of God's enemy must be kissed.” Mathew Murphy Senior News Editor Published Aug. 13, 2022 Sean Zanni Iranian newspapers have celebrated the attack on Salman Rushdie with the Kayhan newspaper—whose editor-in-chief is appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—sending his assailant “a thousand bravos.” Rushdie, who has been the subject of a fatwa by Iran since 1989 following the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses, is on a ventilator and at risk of losing an eye after he was stabbed at a literary event in western New York. Iran’s government is yet to comment on the attack but several of its newspapers have applauded the suspect, who police have identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar from Fairview, New Jersey. “A thousand bravos... to the brave and dutiful person who attacked the apostate and evil Salman Rushdie in New York,” the Kayhan newspaper stated. “The hand of the man who tore the neck of God's enemy must be kissed.” The Khorasan daily ran with a headline that said “Satan on the path to hell.” The late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa, or religious edict, on the British-Indian author, calling The Satanic Verses blasphemous and forcing him into hiding for years. The 15th Khordad Foundation offering a $2.7 million reward to anyone who carried out Khomeini‘s fatwa and then increasing it to $3.3 million in 2012. The Asr Iran news site was another that looked on Rushdie’s attack favorably, using an often cited quote by Khamenei that said the “arrow” shot by the former leader “will one day hit the target.” Police have yet to establish a motive for the attack.
Salman Rushdie attack suspect charged with attempted murder, pleads not guilty Salman Rushdie attack suspect charged with attempted murder, pleads not guilty Posted 2h ago https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08...pect-charged-with-attempted-murder-/101331386 Authorities are working to understand the planning and preparation which preceded the attack.(AP: Gene J. Puskar) The man accused of carrying out a stabbing attack against author Salman Rushdie has entered a not-guilty plea in a New York court on charges of attempted murder and assault. Key points: The 24-year-old man from New Jersey was arraigned on charges of attempted murder and assault Authorities are trying to understand the planning, to see if they can lay additional charges Several Iranian newspapers praised the attack on Salman Rushdie An attorney for Hadi Matar, 24, entered the plea on his behalf during an arraignment hearing. Mr Matar appeared in court wearing a black and white jumpsuit and a white face mask. His hands were cuffed in front of him. He is accused of attacking Rushdie on Friday as the author was being introduced at a lecture at the Chautauqua Institute. Mr Matar, from Fairview, New Jersey, was arraigned late on Friday (local time) on charges of attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree, the Chautauqua County district attorney, Jason Schmidt, said in a statement. Mr Schmidt said state and federal law enforcement agencies, including in New Jersey, were working to understand the planning and preparation that preceded the attack and determine whether additional charges should be filed. Indian-born author Rushdie, who spent years in hiding after Iran urged Muslims to kill him over his novel "The Satanic Verses", was stabbed in the neck and torso on stage at a lecture on Friday. After hours of surgery, Rushdie was on a ventilator and unable to speak on Friday evening. Reuters could not immediately establish whether Mr Matar, who bought a pass to the event at western New York's Chautauqua Institution, had legal representation. A preliminary law enforcement review of Mr Matar's social media accounts showed he was sympathetic to Shi'ite extremism and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to NBC New York. Mr Matar was born in California and recently moved to New Jersey, the NBC New York report said, adding that he had a fake drivers license on him. FBI officials went to his last listed address, in Fairview, a Bergen County borough just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, on Friday evening, NBC New York reported. New York and New Jersey police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the NBC New York report. Police said on Friday they had not established a motive for the attack on Rushdie, 75, who was being introduced to give a talk to an audience of hundreds on artistic freedom when the attacker rushed to the stage and lunged at the novelist. Iranian newspapers react to Rushdie attack Several hardline Iranian newspapers poured praise on Saturday on the person who attacked and seriously wounded Rushdie, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" had drawn death threats from Iran since 1989. Iranian newspapers praised the attack on Salman Rushdie.(AP: Vahid Salemi) There was no official reaction yet in Iran to the attack, however, the hardline Kayhan newspaper, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, wrote: "A thousand bravos… to the brave and dutiful person who attacked the apostate and evil Salman Rushdie in New York," adding, "The hand of the man who tore the neck of God's enemy must be kissed". The leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, in 1989 that called on Muslims around the world to kill the Indian-born author after his book was condemned as blasphemous, forcing him into years of hiding. In 2019, Twitter suspended Khamenei's account over a tweet that said Khomeini's fatwa against Rushdie was "solid and irrevocable". The Asr Iran news site on Saturday carried an often-cited quote by Khamenei that said the "arrow" shot by Khomeini "will one day hit the target". A wealthy Iranian religious organisation offered a $US2.7 million ($3.79 million) reward to anyone who carried out Khomeini's fatwa. It increased the amount to $US3.3 million in 2012. The headline of the hardline Vatan Emrooz newspaper read: "Knife in Salman Rushdie's neck". The Khorasan daily carried the headline: "Satan on the way to hell". Reuters/AP