The 24-year-old man charged with the attempted murder of Salman Rushdie has denied being in contact with Iran바카라s Revolutionary Guard Corps and said that he acted alone when he stabbed the Mumbai-born author, whom he disliked for being "disingenuous".
Hadi Matar, of Fairview in New Jersey, was arrested last week and charged with second-degree attempted murder and assault after he stabbed Rushdie, 75, onstage at an event at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state.
In a video interview to the New York Post from Chautauqua County Jail, Matar said that 바카라When I heard he survived, I was surprised, I guess.바카라
Rushdie suffered three stab wounds to his neck, four stab wounds to his stomach, puncture wounds to his right eye and chest, and a laceration on his right thigh, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said during the suspect's arraignment.
Matar did not respond on whether he was inspired by Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who had issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie바카라s death in 1989 after 바카라The Satanic Verses바카라 was published.
바카라I respect the Ayatollah. I think he바카라s a great person. That바카라s as far as I will say about that,바카라 Matar told The Post.
He noted that he had only 바카라read like two pages바카라 of Rushdie바카라s controversial novel. 바카라I read a couple of pages. I didn바카라t read the whole thing cover to cover,바카라 he said.
The report said that Matar, who was born in the US to parents from southern Lebanon, denied being in contact with Iran바카라s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and alluded to acting completely alone.
The IRGC is a major military and political force in Iran. However, no link has been definitively established between Matar and the IRGC.
Matar said he was inspired to go to Chautauqua after seeing a tweet sometime in the winter announcing Rushdie바카라s visit.
바카라I don바카라t like the person. I don바카라t think he바카라s a very good person,바카라 he said about Rushdie. 바카라I don바카라t like him. I don바카라t like him very much. 바카라He바카라s someone who attacked Islam, he attacked their beliefs, the belief systems,바카라 The Post report said.
Matar said he was less familiar with Rushdie바카라s written work but had watched his videos on YouTube.
바카라I saw a lot of lectures,바카라 he said. 바카라I don바카라t like people who are disingenuous like that.바카라
In the nearly 15-minute-long interview to The Post Wednesday, Matar spoke about how he took a bus from New Jersey to Buffalo a day before the Friday attack, and then grabbed a ride to Chautauqua.
바카라I was hanging around pretty much. Not doing anything in particular, just walking around,바카라 Matar said, adding that he 바카라slept in the grass outside Thursday night, a day before the attack.
바카라I was just outside the whole time.바카라
Public defender Nathaniel Barone, who represents Matar, has said that he pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury with a deadly weapon.
Matar faces up to 32 years if convicted.
