How 2018 Middle-East trip changed Hadi Matar: Salman Rushdie attacker's mother Silvana Fardos DISOWNS son
CHAUTAUQUA, NEW YORK: The mother of Salman Rushdie’s alleged attacker Hadi Matar shared a few insights into his life after he stabbed the acclaimed author up to 15 times on Friday, August 12. The 24-year-old’s mother identified as Silvana Fardos in an interview with the Daily Mail revealed her son became a moody introvert after returning from a trip to the Middle East in 2018.
The mother of Matar spilled the beans on her son’s behavior sharing that after his 2018 trip, he isolated himself in the basement and refused to talk to family members for months. The new interview revealed that Matar was a loner who never worked and never had a girlfriend. Silvana Fardos claimed she was disowning her son over his crime. She also wished good health to Rushdie, who was reportedly taken off the ventilator and was said to be doing fine.
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‘I was expecting him to come back motivated’
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Fardos, who is a Lebanese and born Muslim, stated, “I just cannot believe he was capable of doing something like this. He was very quiet, everyone loved him. As I said to the FBI I'm not going to bother talking to him again. He's responsible for his actions.” She continued, “I have another two minors that I need to take care of. They are upset, they're shocked. All we can do is try to move on from this, without him.”
Fardos added, “I was expecting him to come back motivated, to complete school, to get his degree and a job. But instead he locked himself in the basement. He had changed a lot, he didn't say anything to me or his sisters for months.” She continued, “I couldn't tell you much about his life after that because he has isolated me since 2018. If I approach him sometimes he says hi, sometimes he just ignores me and walks away.” Matar’s mother added, “He sleeps during the day and wakes and eats during the night. He lives in the basement. He cooks his own food.”
Hadi Matar criticized mother for not giving strict Muslim upbringing
Matar pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges in connection to his public attack on Salman Rushdie. His mother in an interview with the publication revealed that Hadi once argued why she always encouraged education over religion and even once criticized her for not giving a strict Muslim upbringing. “One time he argued with me asking why I encouraged him to get an education instead of focusing on religion. He was angry that I did not introduce him to Islam from a young age," said Silvana.
She added, “I don't care about politics, I'm not religious. I was born a Muslim and that's it basically. I didn't push my kids into religion or force anything on my son. I don't know anyone in Iran, all my family are here.” According to her, it was Matar’s 2018 trip to Lebanon that changed him. She further spoke about the incident saying, “The FBI gave me a document to sign saying they had taken his computer, his PlayStation, some books, some other items including knives and a sharpener. She further stated, “I feel sorry for Mr Rushdie. I hope he recovers but there's nothing much I can say or do because this wasn't my act.”