MAYVILLE, N.Y. — On Friday, jurors were shown shocking footage depicting the moment Salman Rushdie was violently attacked on stage in western New York. The incident, which left the acclaimed author severely injured and with impaired vision in one eye, took place during a speaking event that shocked onlookers.
This marked the first time the chaotic video showcasing the assault has been presented during the trial of Hadi Matar, 27, who faces charges of attempted murder. The footage, captured by the security cameras at the Chautauqua Institution on August 12, 2022, provides brief glimpses of Matar, who was clad in black and wearing a face mask, as he struck Rushdie multiple times before he was subdued by fellow audience members.
Four distinct video clips taken from various angles offer limited views of a badly wounded Rushdie, who collapsed near the assailant on the stage. The distressing situation prompted urgent calls for help, with someone shouting, “Medic! Medic! We need a medic!” as bystanders scrambled to assist both men. While some restrained Matar, others tried to attend to Rushdie, bringing towels and elevating his legs to stabilize him.
During his testimony earlier in the week, Rushdie recounted the trauma of being attacked, detailing approximately 15 stab wounds, including a devastating blow to his right eye and another that pierced the hand he had raised in self-defense. “I was dying. That was my predominant thought,” Rushdie stated, reflecting on the moment he saw blood soaking his clothes. The video further illustrated the tumultuous shift in atmosphere that day.
Initially, the event began on a positive note, with the event’s moderator, Sony Ton-Aime, engaging the audience with a cheerful, “Good morning, Chautauqua!” before a planned dialogue on the safety of writers. Rushdie was scheduled to speak alongside Henry Reese, a co-founder of City of Asylum Pittsburgh, who also fell victim to the attack. The audience responded harmoniously, but this calm was soon replaced by gasps and screams as chaos erupted. Ton-Aime, along with several staff members, rushed toward the unfolding scene while some audience members bravely climbed onto the stage to assist.
While it may not have been immediately evident from the footage that Rushdie had been stabbed, a voice was heard on the video urgently contacting 911, stating, “Someone’s been stabbed, severely. Salman Rushdie has been stabbed several times on the main stage of the amphitheater.” Throughout this harrowing footage, Matar maintained a downcast demeanor in the Chautauqua County courtroom, unable to view the video from his position at the defense table behind the screen.
Earlier in the proceedings, the court also displayed around three minutes of footage from an interview conducted by a state police investigator with Matar. Seated in a small interrogation room in Jamestown, Matar appeared calm, responding, “Sure, I’ll answer some questions,” as he provided his personal information when prompted. Investigator Scott Mills later testified regarding his collection of a statement from Rushdie, along with a DNA swab taken ten days post-attack, when Rushdie was still recuperating in a Pennsylvania hospital.
Rushdie had sustained multiple serious injuries, including stab wounds to his head, eye, neck, torso, leg, and hand. He remained hospitalized for 17 days in Pennsylvania and continued his rehabilitation for over three weeks in New York City. The trial taking place in Chautauqua County Court, in close proximity to the Chautauqua Institution, is expected to extend at least into the following week, although it remains unclear whether Matar will take the stand. Additionally, he faces federal terrorism charges linked to the incident.
Those federal charges allege that Matar’s actions were influenced by a 2006 endorsement from a Hezbollah leader regarding a long-standing fatwa issued by the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This fatwa, prompted by Rushdie’s 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses,” has been deemed blasphemous by many in the Muslim community. Following the release of the book, Rushdie spent years in hiding due to safety concerns, but he had been able to live relatively freely for the last quarter century after Iran declared it would not enforce the fatwa.
The incident ended with video footage capturing Matar being escorted away from the stage as others remained to assist Rushdie. “Given what has just happened, we would like to evacuate the hall,” an administrator from the Chautauqua Institution communicated to the now silent attendees. “If you’d like to contemplate or meditate or pray, we’d appreciate that,” she added, as the event concluded under somber circumstances.
