Salman Rushdie testified in court about the stabbing attack that nearly killed him, the Washington Post reports.
Rushdie, the novelist known for books including Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses, took the stand in Chautauqua County, New York, to testify against Hadi Matar, who is on trial for assault and attempted murder in connection with an attack on the author. in August 2022, Rushdie was stabbed repeatedly while onstage at the Chautauqua Institution preparing to give a lecture. Matar has pleaded not guilty.
Rushdie wrote about the attack in a memoir, Knife, published last year.
“I only saw him at the last minute,” Rushdie said. “I was aware of somebody wearing black clothes—very dark clothes, anyway—and a black Covid face mask. I was very struck by his eyes, which were very dark.”
Rushdie said that at first, he thought Matar was punching him. “Very soon afterwards, I saw a large quantity of blood pouring out onto my clothes,” he recalled.
He said that after the attack, he felt “a sense of great pain and shock.”
“It occurred to me quite clearly that I was dying,” Rushdie said. “That was my predominant thought.”
The New York Times reports that Rushdie said the attack has taken a toll on his life. “I am not as energetic as I used to be,” he said. “I am not as physically strong as I used to be.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
