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© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Suspect in attack on author Salman Rushdie pleads not guilty
By CAROLYN THOMPSON and HILLEL ITALIE MAYVILLE, New York©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
48 Comments
Yrral
He was an American
Yrral
Jean,more in Europe than anywhere in the US,France, Belgium and UK
stormcrow
Disgraceful! Absolutely disgraceful!
jeancolmar
The disgruntled and inarticulate lonely assassin. Having witnessed so many instances of assassinations and attempted assassinations in the U.S. I have to wonder again if there is not a sinister puppeteer behind the curtain.
Get well, Mr. Rushdie. You will write again.
Bob Fosse
I’m afraid the facts just don’t support your hypothesis.
This is a serious crime and will be treated seriously. Nobody without a grudge against the US or ‘liberal states’ expects him to go free.
Desert Tortoise
? There is nothing theoretical about life or death. Both are directly observable and measurable facts. God or gods however are not.
Sam Watters
Which was exactly my point. Had security killed Matar been killed then Mr. Rushdie would like have suffered less wounds or maybe none at all.
Other than death I cannot think of anything worse that could have happened to Mr. Rushdie.
memoryfix
Kaminari
You said, “where there’s religion, there will always be conspiracy”, thus connecting it by default to dangerous acts.
Jazzyjazz
New York does not have the death penalty and perhaps it should.
WA4TKG
Sam:
I’m thinking about the situation a little differently.
I’d say Rushdie is lucky psycho boy didn’t have a gun.
Jimizo
They think their particular books are magic.
It is is bound to cause problems when someone points out that they aren’t.
I agree but many so-called moderates of Islam and other religions criticised Rushdie for writing the ‘Satanic Verses’. In the US and UK quite a few high profile religious leaders and politicians were doing this.
I think they liked the idea that criticism or ridicule of religion should be seen as unacceptable and others just saw potential votes.
bass4funk
He’s not dead
It already did, the mission wasn’t completed.
qazwsx
Extremists in all religions and groups should be rightly condemned by the moderates in said group, otherwise the extremist thinking will become the accepted norm.
noriahojanen
The killer has got away, and the case has become cold. It's a horrifying crime done on a peaceful university campus. The inquiry should be reopened. I suspect there must have been some collaborators supporting the killer.
TokyoLiving
It would be fair..
memoryfix
Kaminari
So religion is now a “wack conspiracy theory” is it? So, no religions should be allowed? If if theories about the meaning of life and make a group expressing that, I should be closed down?
Dagon
We’re talking about murder here. Not about “imposing their beliefs”. Beliefs? You can take it or leave it.
Anyway. Only one religion directs to kill. In “fatwahs”.
Sam Watters
It’s too bad that Mr. Rushdie did not have adequate security that was armed and simply shot Martar until he was lying dead on the stage. That might have saved Mr. Rushdie some injuries and served as a warning to other extremists.
GuruMick
Re: the "plea not guilty " thing.
In American Courts , and in former Commonwealth nations, the FIRST appearance of an accused in a serious case usually has a "Not Guilty " plea entered.
Alternatively , "no plea " is entered.
The accused would not have been served with the Police case yet, so it would be a foolish man who pled to someone he didnt know was alleged against him.
Given the number of witnesses, the man's lawyer may suggest he plead guilty at about the third time in Court.
Dont be surprised if a "Not Guilty " plea will give this man the chance to grandstand in a Courtroom, trying to justify his actions
Gaijinjland
What is it with these brainwashed extremists and books? Good literature is supposed to offend, inspire and provoke discussion.
Anonymous
Rushdie’s would-be assassin, Justice Kavanaugh’s would-be assassin … religions don’t need traditional gods. They just need to persuade weak-minded adherents that they are gods.
Nihon Tora
I just read that he’s been charged with attempted murder - max sentence is 25 years. I hope they can find more than that to charge him with because imo these types should stay in prison for the rest of their lives.
Michael Machida
I wonder if the attacker will get his money?
bass4funk
That’s what I’m saying, so let’s hope the Justice system gives him exactly that.
Yrral
Bass4,life is probably what he will get , even if Rushdie die,unless he get charged with Federal hate crimes
Simon Foston
BigYenToday 08:42 am JST
He could try the classic LDP politician defence: "I don't remember." It always seems to work for them.
Kaminari
Religion is also a theory .
Where's there's Religion there will always be conspiracy.
Be careful what you believe in
bass4funk
Not to mention he was stabbed in the neck as well, so now he can’t even talk and it’ll be awhile before he talk
bass4funk
Crazy, glad they got this thug in custody, at least now he can’t stab anyone, the guy plead not guilty the other day. Well, let the Justice system work it’s way, but this guy doesn’t need to be anywhere outside or near someone. Hope Mr. Rushdie recovers soon.
dagon
Unification Church defrauding widows.
Evangelicals imposing their beliefs on women and sexual minorities.
Strip them of their tax exemptions and defund them all.
Ah_so
By standing trial in which it is the state's job to prove his guilt rather than his to prove innocence.
PTownsend
Extremists and cultists of all sorts (political and religious)tend to believe wack conspiracy theories, and the craziest act on their beliefs.
MarkX
So first we have the so called plot to kill John Bolton, now this terrible attack on Rushdie, all while a nuclear treaty with Iran is about to be finalized. Interesting timing isn't it.
memoryfix
Yrrai
You mean replacement of course.
Yrral
PT,he has a damaged liver and may lose an eye
Yrral
Englisc, The Fatwah was done away long time ago, Muslim are a part of mainstream American culture,we are not a culture dominated by lots of those who want to impose White Supremacists,this ship sailed long time ago
memoryfix
Dagon
These religions? It’s only one religion doing this. Emphasis: Doing this in the NAME of said religion. Not merely happens to be a member.
ulysses
Evenif it was a lone wolf attack , there were people who radicalized and enabled him.
We need to go after them too, otherwise there’ll be more of these brainwashed idiots cropping up.
dagon
The US is becoming a haven for fundamentalists of many stripes.
Time to strip these religions of their exemptions, privileges and influence.
GuruMick
Rushdie wrote of the revolution in Nicaragua in a non fiction book "The Jaguar's smile ".
Commentators in the USA called him a "commie sympathiser ".
The Avenger
'Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.', 'What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.'
Salman Rushdie.This month, I suggest every book club in the World read and discuss "The Satanic Verses." We cannot, and will not, be bludgeoned into terrified silence by those who think their thoughts and beliefs are sacrosanct and immune to analysis and criticism.
Sanjinosebleed
Come on he was born in the US! Maybe his parents left the above town in question to escape these groups ! How convenient try to tie this to Iran just at the time the JCPOA was about to be signed and sealed! Any thinking person would have to question the timing of this incident and suspect who the true backers are…what country has been vehemently against the JCPOA from the beginning??
Simon Foston
How does a suspect exercise that constitutional right when a whole room full of people saw him do it.
englisc aspyrgend
Utterly appalling barbarity.
Unfortunately this highlights the almost unstoppable and insidious nature of the threat posed by Muslim fanatics, extremists and the deluded of all stripes. They quite literally live among us and all too often are not immediately recognisable until they act.
memoryfix
This is not a shock, really. This was mandated by Islamic extremists. Rushdie did not have enough security for the event. Maybe, after so many years, he did not demand so much security, I don’t know. And naturally now, the media is reporting it as being “motive unclear”, worried as always about discrimination above all else.
This has nothing to do with any “wack conspiracy theory”. I don’t know why the commenter included that in his comment.
PTownsend
I'm saddened and hope Mr. Rushdie heals quickly, but am not shocked at things done by extremists, be they from the West of East, be they done by private citizens or political leaders, be they religious or political, among the most horrible are acts committed by individuals that have followed what they think are directions from an extremist leader, or maybe believed some wack conspiracy theory and acted on it.