The suspect who stabbed British author Salman Rushdie stated that he respects former Iranian Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, but did not confirm whether he committed the crime because of a fatwa issued over 30 years ago, according to an interview with the New York Post, reported by various media outlets. Hadi Matar, the accused in the stabbing of the author at a lecture center in New York State, said last Friday that he had only read "a few pages" of Rushdie's novel, mentioning that a tweet announcing Rushdie's visit to the Chautauqua Institution gave him the idea to go there. Rushdie, 75, was expected to give a lecture on freedoms before Matar, 24, took to the stage and stabbed the Indian-origin author.
In a video interview from Chautauqua Jail with the New York Post, Matar said, "I respect the Ayatollah; I think he’s a great person, that’s all I’ll say about that." Regarding his opinion of Rushdie, Matar said, "I don't like him much," adding that he was "surprised" by Rushdie's survival. He remarked, "He's a person who attacked Islam, and its beliefs, and its system of faith," pointing out that he had watched videos of Rushdie on YouTube.
Matar denied any contact with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. He stated that he took a bus to Buffalo the day before the attack and then went to Chautauqua in a car rented through the Lyft app. He added, "I was wandering around the area, didn't do anything notable," and mentioned that he slept on the grass on Thursday night. The young man, who lives in New Jersey, claimed that he is "not guilty" of the charges against him, which include attempted second-degree murder and assault, according to Reuters.
