Police have identified the suspect as Hadi Mater, a 24-year-old man from New Jersey. He was arrested from the spot. Hadi Mater was born a decade after the publication of ‘The Satanic Verses’. But State Police Maj. Eugene Staniszewski said the motive behind the violence was unclear. According to reports, there were indications that Matar had Iranian sympathies.
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Here are some of the information that came out about Hadi Matar;
1. According to a report by NBC News, the suspect was born in California but recently moved to New Jersey. His address was in Fairview, Manhattan.
2. Police also say he had a fake driver’s license in New Jersey.
3. State Police Maj. Eugene Staniszewski said the motive for the attack on Rushdie is not yet clear. Based on a check on the accused’s social media accounts, it has been found that he has sympathies with Shia Islamic extremism and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These things were reported by NBC. Meanwhile, Matar has no direct ties to the IRGC. However, officials found him to be sympathetic to the Iranian group.
4. Witness Kathleen Jones said the suspect arrived wearing black clothing and a black face mask. At first we thought it was some play or performance to show that there is a lot of controversy surrounding Salmar Rushdie. But Kathleen explained that she soon realized that this was not the case.
5. The accused was immediately arrested by the police. He is awaiting trial. It is not clear what sections will be charged against the accused. In the 1980s, Rushdie received death threats from the leader of Iran for his book ‘The Satanic Verses’.
Also Read-Salman Rushdie| Salman Rushdie’s condition is serious after he was stabbed; The sight of one eye may be lost; Liver injury
Meanwhile, Salman Rushdie’s condition remains critical. He is on a ventilator and may lose sight in one eye, AFP news agency reported, citing people close to him. The nerve in the hand is severed. It is reported that the liver was also injured. According to the news agency report, he is currently unable to speak. He was airlifted to hospital shortly after the stabbing and underwent emergency surgery.
Born in Mumbai, Salman Rushdie is currently a British citizen. The novel The Satanic Verses, published in 1988, was highly controversial. Iran banned the book on charges of blasphemy. A reward of 30 lakh dollars (about Rs. 24 crores) was also announced for those who kill Rushdie. The Satanic Versus is Rushdie’s fourth novel. Midnight’s Children, released in 1981, made him world famous.
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