On Monday, August 15, 2022, Iranian government official Nasser Kanaani claimed that the nation had no role in what is now being considered an ‘‘assassination attempt.’’
The suspicions arose as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the now deceased Supreme Leader of Iran, had ordered a fatwa against Salman Rushdie in 1989, in response to the publication of his controversial novel The Satanic Verses.
Iranian government involvement was also suspected based on Hadi Matar’s social media history, as his online profiles indicated support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces.
According to ABC, Salman Rushdie is gradually recovering from the stabbing and is no longer on a ventilator.
The Iranian Government responds to the attack on Salman Rushdie
While Iranian government figures have denied any involvement in the plotting of the attack, many have celebrated the attempt to assassinate Salman Rushdie.
In an official statement, Nasser Kanaani explained that he believed the attack on Rushdie was just. He said:
Kanaani continued:
Kanaani went on to say that while Iran could not be blamed, the attack was a result of Rushdie’s own actions.
BBC reported that Iranian media outlet Jaam-e Jam also celebrated the alleged actions of Hadi Matar. After Rushdie’s agent stated that it was possible Rushdie would suffer irreversible eye damage, the Iranian outlet characterised this as retribution.
The broadcast stated:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Iran’s response to the attack by saying:
He further labeled Iran’s response as ‘despicable.’
This is not the first time violence has been linked to the publication of The Satanic Verses. In 1991, Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator of the novel, was stabbed to death in his office in Tsukuba, Japan.
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