Some time ago I published a thread titled "Censorship comes to America." It described how Random House had withdrawn "The Jewel of Medina," a fictionalised account of the life of Aisha and Muhmmad, because of fears "for the safety of the author, employees of Random House, booksellers and anyone else who would be involved in distribution and sale of the novel,…"

Towards the end I reported that another publisher had taken on the book.

That publisher's house has now been firebombed.

See:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/sep/28/muhammad.book.attack

QUOTE:

FIREBOMB ATTACK ON BOOK PUBLISHER

Firm had bought rights to a controversial novel about the Prophet Muhammad's child bride

"The London home of the publisher of a controversial new novel that gives a fictionalised account of the Prophet Muhammad's relationship with his child bride, Aisha, was firebombed yesterday, hours after police had warned the man that he could be a target for fanatics."

Steven,
Thanks for posting that info. It will be interesting to see if those arrested are charged and what their motives were.

The "Guardian" seems to think there is a link to the decision to publish that book and I suppose that is not an unreasonable assumption but better to wait and see.

I hope this does not develope into another Salman Rushdie or Danish Cartoons episode.

Here is some more background from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/world/europe/29jewel.html?hp

Some quotes

"…Three men were arrested on suspicion “of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism,” the police said."

"A fourth suspect, a woman, was arrested Sunday on charges of “obstructing police” after the police searched four houses in and around London."

"Mr. Rynja, who is said to be under police protection, “has shown nothing but courage,” Sherry Jones, the author of “The Jewel of Medina,” said Sunday in a telephone interview from Spokane, Wash. She said she had corresponded via e-mail messages with Mr. Rynja since the incident. “I really can’t say what he’s going to do at this point,” she said, “but I haven’t heard any indication that he’s not going to publish.”"

Thank heavens for courageous independent publishers like Martin Rynja.

"Thank heavens for courageous independent publishers like Martin Rynja."

Here here! It makes my blood boil.

Glad to hear that Veronika.

I presume the bit which makes your blood boil is the fact that these offenders sought to censor freedom using terrorism.

It worked with Random house.. how much more will such tactics "work" with moderate mosques when their imams are threatened, killed, beheaded or their families harrased and threatened by radicals who want the 'tone' of the mosque to become more 'Islamic'....

I'd say with complete confidence 'game set match' to all the Bugsy's, CJs,Spikey's and Pericles's out there who share their 'critical' assessment of terrorism and it's nature, and don't see the wolf in the sheeps clothing nor in the "Islamic School" down the road.

It only takes a small number of determined people to influence a large number of ordinary folks. The Mafia system shows this, yet when it comes to a violent, agressive, seditious religion .. many people don't get it.

Each time I hear of something like this my motivation to engage in vigorous debate with 'the enemy' ramps up to "high".

Of course I rather doubt that the book Jewell will examine how she became Jealous of Mohammads 'string of women' offering themselves to him....or his 'sudden revelation' to justify it all... nah.. if the author does mention it, I'll bet she couches it in "But Allah came to the rescue" kind of lingo.

Criminals and real terrorists need to hunted down and subjected to the full force of the law for their actions. I applaud the publisher for his stand on the matter and certainly hope that he paid his insurance bill.

But to paint the whole religion as terrorist is analagous to saying that people who shoot doctors at abortion clinics shows Christians who do not support abortion as being terorists and that we should close down all the churches ans church-run schools as soon as possible. It's stupid.