His motive . He said: Its natural we are asking, Could we have done anything differently? The reality is that a 24-year-old was committed to enacting violence on an individual, and he found a way to get there. Anyone can read what you share. He was so determined, she said. State police said it appeared Matar acted alone. He has been taken off of a ventilator and is speaking Saturday night, but Rushdie's agent said on Friday that he's likely to lose the injured eye. Protected by a wall, the Chautauqua Institution is a community of quaint pedestrian lanes and beautifully landscaped summer homes, a scene from an idealized past when people supposedly did not lock their doors. Saunders said eventually someone was able to pin the attacker to the floor. Chuck Koch, an attorney from Van Wert, Ohio, who owns a house in Chautauqua, was seated in the second row when the attack began and ran onstage to help. The author was taken or fell to the floor, and the man was restrained, AP reported. A host of a different Rushdie event in 2010 - Avi Abraham Benlolo - told The U.S. Sun that he got a voicemail from an unknown caller who threatened to put a bullet in his head. The attack stunned the crowd and drew international attention. Chautauqua Institution now finds itself grappling with exactly the conundrum that has loomed over Rushdie since the fatwa against his life was issued in 1989 how do you stay true to your values, and live your best life, when faced with constant danger? In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the institution flourished and spawned a movement, with other Chautauqua centers cropping up in Colorado, Ohio, Michigan and beyond. "We must hold the perpetrator of this violence accountable to the fullest extent of the law," Zeldin said. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Salman Rushdie's attacker stabbed him fifteen times as he was going to speak at the Chautauqua Institution, The institution is cracking down on security after the near-fatal stabbing of the revolutionary writer, Matar pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, Salman Rushdie is widely known for his controversial book Satanic Verses, which saw extreme backlash from Iran during its publication 33 years age, Security stepped up at Salman Rushdie stabbing site as Chautauqua president praises hero & slams attack on freedom, Chilling twist after hunt for missing man reveals two sets of human remains & 'parts of a body' submerged in lake, Rishi Sunak demands Iran is sanctioned over Salman Rushdie stabbing & says attack is 'wake up call for the West', Serial burglar jailed after 4am raid is foiled by flock of angry seagulls, Dozens of teens serving in Armed Forces 'sexually assaulted by comrades or instructors', Funding increase for dementia research is fitting tribute to Brit treasure Barbara Windsor, Lets make beating dementia a national mission in Barbara Windsor's memory, says Boris Johnson, Boris Johnson announces 95million funding boost for dementia research in a bid to honour Dame Barbara Windsor, Walmart Houston alert - police surround Walters Road store after reports of an 'active shooter and suspicious package'. P-J photo by Timothy Frudd. A.J. Hadi Matar is issued to his seat before his appearance in Chautauqua County Court Tuesday morning. In that interview, Matar said he did it because Rushdie disrespected Islam with his book The Satanic Verses, which was published in 1988. (modern). The grim prognosis came shortly after a 24-year-old New Jersey man was arrested for the brazen attack. YouTube screengrab In the way of background, a Methodist minister founded the institution on Chautauqua Lake in 1874. Pautler said that several people quickly jumped on the attacker to subdue him while others began to treat the author. For decades, he avoided serious attack until Friday, when suspected knifeman Hadi Matar allegedly rushed the stage in the beautiful Western New York city and stabbed the British writer. A doctor in the audience and emergency medical technicians on hand tended to Rushdie before he was helped off the stage. Rushdie's most recentnovel, "Quichotte," was published in 2019. Access is gained through a gate or from the waters of Lake Chautauqua. Voell said Rushdie was on the ground for possibly five minutes when two men, one on either side, helped him walk to the back of the stage and out of view. Matar, 24, appeared in Chautuqua County court on Saturday after his immediate arrest following Friday's attack. Visitors to the institution said they were anxious to leave the area but were prevented from exiting the grounds for hours. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He has remained in the county jail without bail. It was an act of violence, an act of hatred and a violation of one of the things we have always cherished most: the safety and tranquility of our grounds and our ability to convene the most important conversations, even if those conversations are difficult. At the same time, audience members can be seen pinning down the assailant. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. The full vigil can be viewed here. If Im guessing, Im thinking it could be as early as September or October, he said. The information was confirmed by Wylie, which was tweeted by author Aatish Taseer. Authorities said several members of the institution's staff, as well as audience members, rushed Matar on stage and forced him to the floor. You have permission to edit this article. I just wish somebody had been there to stop this guy, Saunders said. While all visitors to the community must have a pass to enter the grounds during the summer, which costs at least $200 for two days, there is scant police presence inside the campus. During the incident, an assailant forcefully stormed onto the stage, launching a barrage of stabbing attacks at Rushdie, specifically aiming for his neck and abdomen. Maybe screening for weapons would have been more helpful. The book has been long-listed for the Booker Prize. Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt will determine charges as the investigation continues, depending, in part, on Rushdie's condition. Everyones important in the eyes of God, one voice cried. "Chautauqua has always been an extremely safe place.". May 18, 2023. "What we experienced at Chautauqua today is unlike anything in our 150-year history. There is a deep irony that Chautauqua is where this happened.. I could not tell he had a knife,Davies, a Brooklyn-based urban planner, told The Post. Horrible, Davies said in a Facebook post airing the footage. "There was screening to prevent attendees from bringing in a cup of coffee. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. He said the trooper on the scene "did not immediately take the attacker into custody," but rather remained at the top of the amphitheater while others were wrestling with the attacker, and then rushed down the steps. New video has emerged showing the stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. Rushdie emerged after nine years of seclusion and cautiously resumed more public appearances, maintaining his outspoken criticism of religious extremism. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The amphitheater where Salman Rushdie was attacked, seen in 2014. They made us all leave the Amphitheater and then we wanted to go home and we came up to the gate and they said no. An event organizer then came on the loudspeaker to tell audience members to disperse and called for amoment of calm.. Rushdie was given immediate first aid by a doctor in the audience before emergency medical services arrived. Henry Reese, co-founder of the Pittsburgh nonprofit City of Asylum,was also attacked on stage and suffered a minor facial injury. "We enhanced our normal protocols according to that consultation. State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, was at Chautauqua Institution earlier Friday and had just left when the attack occurred. More:Suspect in Salman Rushdie attack from Bergen County, New Jersey. Weeks said. The attacker faced no apparent resistance as he took the stage and began stabbing Mr. Rushdie, who was seated and waiting for the talk to begin. What we know:Find updates here on Salman Rushdie's condition. Audience members are then heard cheering as the author is helped off stage. Long lines of cars stretched around the white building as each person was checked by security before entering. "Anything at this point would be speculation.". "Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged," he said. Karen Rumsey of Eden said Friday was the first time she had been at Chautauqua since summer 2019. He couldn't tell if the attacker was holding a knife. Hes on the stage being treated. Irans government has since formally distanced itself from Khomeinis decree, but anti-Rushdie sentiment lingers. A couple of Fridays ago, Bestor Cram was up early, as usual, at the house his family rented at the Chautauqua Institution. A witness to Fridays attack, Ward Pautler, told The Daily Beast that Rushdie had just come out and sat down when he was attacked by a man whom Pautler described as heavy set and wearing a black headpiece., Sitting just three rows away from the small stage next to his brother-in-law, Pautler, 76, said that at first he thought the assailant was punching Rushdie, but then I realized he was stabbing him.. The Chautauqua Institution's security has been criticized for being too lax and allowing the suspect to get into the presentation with a weapon. One of Matar's former high school classmates told The Daily Beast on Friday he was shocked to hear that the 24-year-old could have been involved in such a gruesome crime. 2023 www.goerie.com. Send it to The Daily Beasthere. But on the morning of Aug. 12, reality came crashing in. It didnt take long for me to realize that he wasnt punching Rushdie because you dont punch with the side of your hand, he said. The calendar for next week includes an interfaith talk billed as Being the change a leap of faith. (Charles Fox via AP). He was eventually taken by helicopter to a hospital in Erie, Pa. Security at the Chautauqua Institution is minimal. Hadi Matar has been charged with second . We pull people together across ideologies and divides to try [to] spread understanding and make the world a better place.. All rights reserved. On Tuesday, Matar was back in Chautauqua County Court. The attack shattered the sense of calm at Chautauqua, leading longtime guests to question what would become of a retreat that seemed like a rare haven from modern life. Naturally, after what happened yesterday, we will continue to examine that in light of what was so unspeakable.. Rushdie was forced into hiding for 10 years when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa after claiming the book mocked the Islamic faith. At the core, for us, it was an attempt at silencing.. He suffered a minor head injury and a state trooper assigned to the event immediately took the suspect into custody, the statement said. Many people in the audience were crying.. Law enforcement officers detain a person outside the Chautauqua Institution, Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. Author Salman Rushdie is tended to after he was attacked during a lecture Friday at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua. Multiple guests, including Ms. Ayerbe, said they had seen him at the amphitheater. Why would the thousands of families inside the 750-acre gated compound suspect that an attacker was among them? The night before he had been put on a ventilator with wounds to an eye, arm and his liver from what prosecutors said were roughly 10 stab wounds. A view of the Chautauqua Institution where Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born novelist who was once ordered killed by Iran in 1989 because of his writing, was attacked on stage at an event in New. We welcome people of all faiths and none, Hill said. I dont know why the security wasnt stronger.. A state trooper assigned to security at the event grabbed Matar after the commotion began, and took him into custody with help from a Chautauqua County sheriff's deputy and several audience members who ran onto the stage. she said. While it was not immediately clear what Matar has been doing for the last few yearshe had apparently taken up boxing lessons in April. Rushdie.". The smart way to start your day. Author whose book The Satanic Verses made him a target, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Chief of the Breaking News/Criminal Justice Desk. Thats how I remember him and why I wish this isnt him.. Salman Rushdie walked onstage at PEN America's annual gala on Thursday night, his first public appearance since he was stabbed and gravely wounded in an attack last August at a . Its one of those things you dont expect.. Suspect in Salman Rushdie attack from Bergen County, New Jersey, 'Satanic Verses' author Salman Rushdie on a ventilator following attack, suspect named, lecture at Chautauqua was scheduled to be with Reese, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. As Mr. Rushdie lay bleeding on the stage, doctors who had been in the audience put pressure on his wounds and called for medics. Wisconsin resident Sara Klawitter had been waiting for more than an hour to get inside. Theres never been a problem, Gorsynski said. He said Matar has been remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail without bail. Rushdie is the author of 12 novels, six of which are USA TODAY best sellers, most notably"The Satanic Verses," whichhas been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous. On Tuesday, Barone requested certain statements be suppressed, as well as select evidence collected during search warrants. Both were assigned to provide security for the event. He said his "thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Today, the Chautauqua Institution, which is about an hour south of Buffalo, is largely unchanged from its heyday a century ago. Then the police came out.. That is how Mr Rushdie has spent his whole life, and we are very hopeful he will continue to do so, he added. The organization seeks to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. The novel was banned in Iran, where the late leaderAyatollah RuhollahKhomeini the following year issued the fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdies death. In the hours immediately following author and speaker Salman Rushdie was stabbed at Chautauqua Institution, the only thing we know for sure is Chautauqua . Rushdie, who's lived under a longstanding fatwa or an essential death threat from Iran's leadership due to his writings, which many Muslims consider blasphemous has been able to elude harm for nearly 40 years. Over the past week, life at the Chautauqua Institution continued much as it had for 148 summers. Hill said the institution will continue with its summer programming as scheduled. And we, in Western New York and across the world, are the poorer for it. Mr. Rushdie was the featured speaker for the 10:45 a.m. lecture on Friday. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox, Copyright Observer Today | https://www.observertoday.com | PO Box 391, Dunkirk, NY 14048 | 716-366-3000, I dont think I would be doing my job if I didnt use some of the contents in that interview. New York State Police have identified Hadi Matar of Fairview, New Jersey, as the suspected assailant in the attack that occurred as Rushdie was about to address the Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education center and summer resort near Buffalo, for a talk on the U.S. being an asylum for writers and other artists in exile. Rushdie, who was stabbed at least twiceonce in the abdomen, once in the neckwas taken by helicopter to a hospital. The only time I ever saw him get heated when it came to anything was with our AP Bio teacher at the end of the year where he wrote in his evaluation of the class that he hated how he talked about religion.. I was probably 60 feet away from the incident. Investigators and prosecutors at a 5 p.m. press conference said they were considering what to charge Matar with as they gathered evidence and surgery to address Rushdie's wounds continued atUPMC Hamot trauma hospital in Erie, Pa., where he was flown by helicopter after the attack. We were pretty shook up for a long time. Raskin will be speaking as part of a series of talks that the institution is calling new profiles in courage. Another witness described the attackers persistence. Antonio Lopa, a retired hospital worker who lives directly across the street, said he often saw Matar coming and going, but didnt know him. But it was also an attack on the very foundation of who we are and what we stand for. President Michael E. Hill broke the institution's silence Saturday to The U.S. Sun on the horrific incident that took place as Rushdie was set to speak in West New York. "What many of us witnessed was a violent expression of hate that shook us to our core," Hill said. They made us all leave the Amphitheater and then we wanted to go home and we came up to the gate and they said no. "There was so much screaming in the amphitheater," Johnson told the Erie Times-News. When asked if The U.S. Sun can talk to the hero staffer, she said the staff doesn't wish to speak to the press. A $4 million bounty on his head remains active to this day. One possible piece of evidence is the interview Matar had with the NY Post. Find updates here on Salman Rushdie's condition. But even at the main amphitheater, which regularly hosts popular musical acts and celebrity speakers, there are no bag checks or metal detectors. He tells us: you can be terrorised if you allow yourself to hide from the terror.. This is a place where people are supposed to be able to disagree with each other. I dont think I would be doing my job if I didnt use some of the contents in that interview. Public Defender Nathaniel Barone requested to the court that his client be given bail, but Judge David Foley denied that request. Erie lawyer Paul Susko, who attended the lecture with his son, said they had front-row seats on the side of the stage where Rushdie was attacked. AUTHOR Salman Rushdie suffered a stab wound to the neck while on stage before a lecture on Friday, years after the British writer was the target of internati. Memories will be made. "There was horror the whole audience reacted, and probably 15 spectators raced onto the stage to try to attend to him, or so it seemed," said Tonawanda resident Paula Voell, a former Buffalo News reporter, who was in the audience. "We take our security measures very, very seriously," Hill said. Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, culture, the waterfront and more. Insulting rhetoric should not be met with violence, regardless of the circumstance. As people moved Rushdie away from the stage, Pautler said there were other people with towels wiping up the blood., Henry Reese, the co-founder and president of City of Asylum in Pittsburgh, which was founded in 2004 to provide sanctuary to writers exiled under threat of persecution, was interviewing Rushdie. For decades, he avoided serious attack until Friday, when suspected knifeman Hadi Matar allegedly rushed the stage in the beautiful Western New York city and stabbed the British writer. In the aftermath of the attack, the scene at the Chautauqua Institution was quite somber. "I saw what our Chaplain of the week, Terri Hord Owens, called us to possess: a generous, radical love for each other and this community.". "The person responsible for this violent attack and the hate it represents has no place at Chautauqua or anywhere," she said. Rushdie fell victim to a violent assault while preparing to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York on August 12, 2022. "I had been at Tops two hours before the shooting, so I've had enough violence," Kolken said, referring to the May 14 attack by an avowed white supremacist that killed 10 Black people in a Buffalo supermarket. More than a dozen eyewitnesses said they were stunned at the ease with which the attacker reached Mr. Rushdie. There is a strong Christian and Jewish presence in the community, and a growing emphasis on reaching out to Muslims. @dgelles, A version of this article appears in print on, Rushdie Stabbing Brings Terror to an Idyllic Retreat for Earnest Inquiry, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/13/business/rushdie-stabbing-attack-chautauqua.html. The amphitheater is a soft target, she said. Law enforcement officers detain a person outside the Chautauqua Institution amphitheater on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, after author Salman Rushdie was attacked and stabbed in the neck by a man who rushed the stage as Rushdie was about to give a lecture. He's also a former arts editor at The News. As he was about to begin Friday at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York, a man rushed the stage and stabbed Mr. Rushdie in the neck. Leslee Gorsynski, who had come for the day, said she talked to someone who had attended the Chautauqua Institution for 31 years and never experienced any problems. Two, in particular . He and other residents described the neighborhood as quiet, with a police helicopter buzzing overhead as their first sign anything was amiss. Meanwhile, Rushdie continues to fight for his life in the hospital after suffering serious injuries to his liver, severed nerves in an arm and an eye. He said police were in the process of obtaining search warrants for a backpack and electronic devices located at the scene. We were pretty shook up for a long time. On Saturday, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said Matar had been formally charged with second-degree attempted murder for the attack on Rushdie and second-degree assault for the attack on Reese. There was a problem saving your notification. State police early Friday evening identified the man as Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, N.J., who is accused of stabbing Rushdie multiple times, at least once each in the neck and abdomen. Johnson said he couldn't see the full extent of Rushdie's injuries but said there was "blood spatter" in a panel behind Rushdie's chair. Shock, sadness after Salman Rushdie stabbed at Chautauqua Institution; suspect in custody. Ms Morris had a message to share with the country. "He has devoted tireless energy to assisting others who are vulnerable and menaced.". If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. They said that executives had dismissed the suggestions for fear of disrupting the communitys tranquil atmosphere. The sense of shock and dismay articulated by Hill has ricocheted across this tiny western New York town and its surrounding countryside. "I've been coming here since the 1950s and I've seen nothing like this before," she said. "While we dont discuss the details of security measures, we can confirm that our procedures yesterday were enhanced," she said, but didn't elaborate why. Salman Rushdie has made an emotional and unexpected return to public life, attending the annual gala of PEN America and giving the event's final speech as he accepted a special prize, the PEN Centenary Courage Award. The incident, which occurred shortly before 11 a.m. at the institution's 4,000-seat amphitheater, left Rushdie, 75, with stab wounds in the neck and abdomen, according to New York State Police. The issue in a huntley hearing is whether those statements were made voluntarily, Schmidt explained following Matars court appearance. The footage which begins just seconds after the incident unfolded shows the chaos in the auditorium of the Chautauqua Institute, where the celebrated author was attacked onstage. Author Salman Rushdie is helped by people after he was stabbed on stage before his scheduled speech at the Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, New York, U.S., August 12, 2022, in this screengrab . Schmidt said a motive for the attack remains unclear. The Chautauqua Institution was founded to foster the belief that learning made Americans better citizens and better people. The waterfront was closed as police searched the woods, and programs were canceled as rumors of further threats spread among families. We started bringing our children here, and now we bring our grandchildren, said Dennis Ford, 72, a longtime local resident. We are asking the same awful question, Hill said. In the hours after the attack, yellow "crime scene" tape crisscrossed the front of the amphitheater. On Sunday morning, Wylie stated Rushdie's condition is headed in the right direction, noting that the recovery process will be lengthy. Down by the stage there was no visible security at all.. SECURITY measures have been tightened at The Chautauqua Institution following Friday's knife attack on author Salman Rushdie. Hadi Matar, the man accused of attacking author Salman Rushdie, speaks with his attorney during a court appearance in Mayville, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. Though Mr. Rushdie had lived in a fortified safe house in London for the 10 years after a price was put on his head, he. CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. Salman Rushdie, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" drew death threats from Iran's leader in the 1980s, was stabbed in the neck and abdomen Friday by a man who rushed the . Bravo Rushdie! a man can be heard shouting. It served as a campground meeting for summer school teachers and proved. Freedom of expression is a constitutional and Islamic human right. Just before the attack occurred at about 10:45 a.m. Friday, the Booker Prize-winning author was sitting on stage near Reese, co-founder of City of Asylum, a Pittsburgh residency program for writers living in exile under threat of persecution. "I feel like I did after 9/11, that it was an attack on the Chautauqua Institution, and not just Salman Rushdie," said Davies, who lives in Brooklyn. God bless Chautauqua, another exclaimed. I couldnt see it from where I was, she said. Got a tip? It is utterly tragic that Mr. Rushdie was assaulted in a public space for his ideas and opinions. After a considerable amount of time, the Institution finally allowed people to leave the premises. He had requested extensions due to the nature of the volume of evidence. On Saturday, the 2pm and 4pm programs were cancelled, and security was beefed up during the evening program. This story has been shared 121,167 times. That paves the way after that, so that this case can go on the trial calendar and we should be in a position to know the trial date. Michael Hill speaks to press regarding Salman Rushdie being attacked. All rights reserved. We are a community of artists, educators, thinkers, faith leaders and friends dedicated to exploring the best in humanity.
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