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The man accused of brutally attacking Sir Salman Rushdie has been charged with attempted murder.

New York state police have named the suspected knifeman as Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey.

He was taken into custody following the incident and entered a not guilty plea at a New York court today.

Ali Tehfe, mayor of Yaroun in the south of Lebanon, said that the suspect was the son of a man from the town.

The suspect’s parents emigrated to the United States and he was born and raised there, the mayor added.

Investigators will seek to determine if the alleged attacker had ties or sympathies with Shi’ite extremist groups like Hezbollah.

The Lebanese organisation, which has links to terrorist groups, told Reuters it had no involvement or contact with the suspect.

Sir Salman was about to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, in Chautauqua some 65 miles south-west of Buffalo, when the incident occurred.

According to BBC report A man later identieid as Hadi Matar is detained by police near scene of Salman Rushdie attack New York State Police say they took a suspect into custody at the scene. image from twitter Author Salman Rushdie was stabbed after taking stage at a Chautauqua Institute event. He received aid on-site and was able to eventually walk off stage with assistance. This man has been detained by police: twitter https://twitter.com/NotThatRKelly/status/1558110761217654787
Hadi Matar is said to have obtained a pass to attend the literary festival where the attack happened
NEW YORK, USA - AUGUST 13: A view from the round of the house of Salman Rushdie attack suspect 24-year-old Hadi Matar, as FBI members and local police forces are being carried out search, in Fairview, New Jersey, United States on August 13, 2022. The suspect, who attacked author Salman Rushdie on stage in New York state, was taken into custody, New York State Police said on Friday. Author Salman Rushdie, 75, whose works have prompted death threats, was attacked on stage in New York state on Friday ahead of a lecture he was about to present. (Photo by Islam Dogru/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The FBI raided the alleged knifeman’s home last night (Picture: Anadolu)
In this file photo taken on April 19, 2013, British author Salman Rushdie, poses for a portrait during 'Midnight's Children' press day on April 19, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. - It has been reported that Rushdie was attacked on stage today during an event in New York. (Photo by Joe KLAMAR / AFP) (Photo by JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images)
The British writer was born in India and is widely considered one of the best author’s of his generation (Picture: AFP)

Andrew Wylie, his book agent, said in a written statement: ‘The news is not good.

‘Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged.’

He has required police protection since 1989 when the Iranian ayatollah issued a fatwa instructing his followers to kill him after the release of his novel The Satanic Verses.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said he was ‘appalled that Sir Salman Rushdie has been stabbed while exercising a right we should never cease to defend’.

He added: ‘Right now my thoughts are with his loved ones. We are all hoping he is okay.’

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘Salman Rushdie has long embodied the struggle for liberty and freedom against those who seek to destroy them.

‘This cowardly attack on him yesterday is an attack on those values. The whole Labour Party is praying for his full recovery.’

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