Salman Rushdie testifies at terrorism trial of man convicted of stabbing him

Salman Rushdie, the prize-winning author, returned to the witness stand Thursday to recount the ambush that nearly killed him four years ago. Sitting across the courtroom from his convicted attacker, Hadi Matar, Rushdie described the moment he felt what he initially thought was a punch, only to realize blood was streaming from his neck. "I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me," he testified, describing it as an "enormous and expansive lake of blood."

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I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me.

Rushdie, 79, appeared composed as he detailed the attack for the jury in Buffalo, New York. He recounted how the assailant climbed onto the stage and slashed him 15 times. The assault left him blind in his right eye, damaged his liver, and caused temporary paralysis in his left hand. He showed the jurors his sightless right eye, removing his glasses to demonstrate the injury. "The knife was a millimeter from my brain," Rushdie stated.

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It was an enormous and expansive lake of blood.

Matar, 28, has pleaded not guilty to federal terrorism charges, though he has already been convicted of attempted murder in a state court. Prosecutors contend Matar acted on a 1989 fatwa issued by an Iranian leader calling for Rushdie's death due to his novel "The Satanic Verses." The defense, however, is questioning whether prosecutors can prove Matar's intent and mindset at the time of the attack, a crucial element in establishing it as an act of terrorism motivated by allegiance to Iran and Hezbollah. Matar faces a potential life sentence if convicted of the federal charges, in addition to his existing 25-year state prison sentence.

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The knife was a millimeter from my brain.