Iranian Media Hails Stabbing of Salman Rushdie, Condemned by Khomeini’s 1989 Death Fatwa

Iranian Media Hails Stabbing of Salman Rushdie, Condemned by Khomeini’s 1989 Death Fatwa

Iranian state-controlled media is celebrating Friday’s stabbing of author Salman Rushdie, who lived under the threat of a death fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. The 75 year-old Indian-born novelist was stabbed twice, in the abdomen and the neck, on the stage at a literary event in western New York.

“Several hardline Iranian newspapers heaped praise on Saturday on the person who attacked and seriously wounded author Salman Rushdie,” the news agency Reuters noted.

Iranian state media continues to celebrate the assassination attempt against Salman Rushdie.

Rushdie’s agent said he’s likely lost one of his eyes so that’s the image that ended up on the front page of Jam-e Jam which is published by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. pic.twitter.com/XJEFF3LHLu

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 14, 2022

The Iranian newspaper Khorasan featured an image of Rushdie being carried on a stretcher, with the headline saying: “Satan on the path to hell,” — a reference to author’s 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, which triggered angry protests by Muslims across the world for its portrayal of prophet Mohammad.

"Supreme Guide" Khamenei's Kayhan daily hails the attack on novelist #SalmanRushdie as fulfillment of Khomeini's 1988 murder fatwa. It says:Bravo to brave Muslim who gave the apostate his due.
Few years before the fatwa Rushdie received Islamic Republic's highest literary award.

— Amir Taheri (@AmirTaheri4) August 13, 2022

The Reuters reported Iranian media’s response:

[T]he hardline Kayhan newspaper, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, wrote: “A thousand bravos … to the brave and dutiful person who attacked the apostate and evil Salman Rushdie in New York,” adding, “The hand of the man who tore the neck of God’s enemy must be kissed”.

In 2019, Twitter suspended Khamenei’s account over a tweet that said Khomeini’s fatwa against Rushdie was “solid and irrevocable”. The Asr Iran news site on Saturday carried an often cited quote by Khamenei that said the “arrow” shot by Khomeini “will one day hit the target”.

The 15th Khordad Foundation, a wealthy Iranian religious organisation, increased the bounty on Rushdie’s head to $2.5 million in 1997, eight years after it first offered a reward. The foundation increased the amount to $3.3 million in 2012. (…)

The headline of the hardline Vatan Emrooz newspaper read: “Knife in Salman Rushdie’s neck”. The Khorasan daily carried the headline: “Satan on the way to hell”.

NBC New York cited law enforcement sources as saying on Saturday that the suspect in the attack, California-born Hadi Matar, was sympathetic to Shi’ite Muslim extremism and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

▪️ Iran 1989: Fatwa to kill Salman Rushdie

▪️ Iran 2019: Khamenei confirms fatwa

▪️ The attacker: “I love Iran and Hezbollah!”

▪️ Iran 2022: Praises attack on Salman Rushdie

▪️ Police: “We are searching for the motive”

▪️ Me: 🤦🏼‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/Iwxz4VX4TX

— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר (@emilykschrader) August 13, 2022

Attacker Sympathize With Iran’s Islamic Guard & Hezbollah Terrorist Groups

The stabber, identified as Hadi Matar, widely described by the media as “New Jersey Man,” is a 24-year-old man of Lebanese descent. He appears to be a sympathizer Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist militia Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) terrorist group, initial investigation shows.

Matar “was also understood to be using a fake drivers license in the name of Hassan Mughniyah – names which are linked to infamous terrorist organization Hezbollah,” the UK’s Daily Mail revealed.

Rushdie’s attacker “was born in the US and officials are investigating possible sympathies for Shia extremism and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the Sky News UK reported.

Citing sources in law enforcement, the broadcaster noted that a “preliminary review of Matar’ social media shows he had sympathies for Shia extremism and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).”

Biden’s Nuke Deal May Ease Sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Guard

The Iran-inspired attack on Rushdie comes as the Biden administration is on the verge of finalizing a nuclear deal with the Mullah regime. Besides lifting the Trump-era sanctions, the proposed Biden-Mullah deal may ease sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Guard (IRGC), news reports suggest.

“Europe’s proposal to resuscitate Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers would blunt American sanctions against Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and pave the way for Tehran to avoid further scrutiny of suspected atomic sites,” the Politico confirmed Friday.

President Biden has already sweetened the deal for the Iranians by easing key sanctions. If the deal goes ahead, the Biden White House will be reversing the President Donald Trump’s policy of “Maximum Pressure” on Iran, which the previous administration designated as the  ‘world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism.’

Much like the Obama-Kerry nuclear deal, the new agreement will end up financing regime-backed terrorist groups from Gaza-based Hamas to Yemen’s Ansar Allah Houthis militia.

The silence of @POTUS in response to the attempted murder of Salman Rushdie looks increasingly the result of one thing:

A desperation to return to the Iran deal.

American desperation increases regime aggression. It always has.

— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) August 13, 2022

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.