Authorities are now describing Friday's brazen attack on author Salman Rushdie at Chautauqua Institution as an "apparent assassination attempt." 24-year-old Hadi Matar of Fairview, New Jersey was arrested after being tackled onstage by several people attending the event at the Institution Amphitheater. Rushdie's 1988 novel The Satanic Verses was considered blasphemous to Islam by Iran's then-grand Ayatollah Khomeini. Investigators say Matar has shown strong indicators of ideological support for the Iranian regime, which had targeted Rushdie for death more than 30 years ago. Matar is being held in the Chautauqua County Jail without bail for 2nd-degree attempted murder. He is also charged with 2nd-degree assault for injuries suffered by Ralph Henry Reese in the attack.
Photo by the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office
