Salman Rushdie’s attacker Hadi Matar says he’s surprised author survived stabbing

The man who stabbed Salman Rushdie on stage at an event in New York has said he was "surprised" to learn that the renowned Indian-born author was alive following the attack. Hadi Matar, 24, said Rushdie, 75, was "someone who attacked Islam" but did not confirm that his actions were driven by a fatwa issued by Iran in the 1980s, reports dpa news agency.