The man who attacked Salman Rushdie yesterday with a knife has been identified by New York police as 24-year-old Hadi Matar, born in Los Angeles but currently residing in Fairview, New Jersey. Although they are not yet announcing a motive, it is pretty clear at this point that Matar was trying to fulfill the over-30-year-old fatwa issued against Rushdie by the late Ayatollah Khomeini after the publication of the book, "The Satanic Verses". Various sources are reporting that Matar is a Shiite supporter of the Iranian regime and Hezbollah.
US media has reported official statements coming out of Iran condemning Rushdie but without commenting on the crime itself. Meanwhile, however, reports coming from other countries contain additional information. The below two articles (segments) from Mexican and Spanish news outlets are translated by Fousesquawk.
The Mexican daily, Excelsior, is quoting the Iranian daily, Kayhan, as congratulating the attacker.
On Saturday, The principal ultraconservative daily in Iran, Kayhan, congratulated the man who stabbed the British writer of Indian origin, Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses" in the United States, the work for which the Iranian religious leader, Khomeini, issued a fatwa condemning him to death in 1989.
"Congratulations to this brave and duty-conscious man who attacked the apostate and depraved Salman Rushdie in New York," declared the newspaper whose head is appointed by the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"We kiss the hands of he who cut the throat of the enemy of God with a knife," the article added.
Meanwhile, the Spanish daily, El Pais, is reporting the following.
Although New York authorities are declining to comment on the nationality and other information on the perpetrator, and, for the moment, about his motives, the expert on Islamism, Romain Calliet, stated on Twitter that Matar is of Lebanese origin and a follower of the pro-Iran, Shiite militia party, Hezbollah. In Iranian media, the news was received with jubilation. "A Lebanese hero," the website, Iran in Arabic called the attacker in a tweet that was later removed. From Beirut, a spokesman for Hezbollah stated Saturday that the group knew nothing about the attack. Caillot explained, nevertheless, that Matar was using a false driver's license issued in New Jersey in the name of Hassan Mughniyah. Imad Mughniyah was chief of security and one of the most important Hezbollah commanders, eliminated by Israel in Damascus in 2008.
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