Terrorism Follows The Jewel of Medina

The Sunday Times of London reported today that Scotland Yard interrupted a plot by Islamic terrorists to firebomb the north London offices (and home) of the Dutch publisher who agreed to release The Jewel of Medina after Random House backed out of its contract.

If you are not familiar with the controversy surrounding The Jewel of Medina, read my previous posts of August 13th and September 7th.

On September 24th, I did a post saying that Martin Rynja the managing director of Gibson Square, the publisher that had secured the UK rights to The Jewel of Medina, had announced he was doubling his initial print run from 10,000 because of the enormous interest in the book.

Today's Sunday Times reported:

. . . the Met [London's Metropolitan Police] appears to have received a tip-off that the British publisher . . . could be the target of an attack.

A Met spokesman said three men had been arrested in “a preplanned intelligence-led operation” at about 2.25am on Saturday.

Two of the suspects were arrested in the street outside Rynja’s four-storey townhouse in Lonsdale Square, Islington, while the third was stopped by officers in an armed vehicle near Angel Tube station.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported, ". . . police told Rynja late on Friday night to leave his property."

Apparently undercover police followed the gang and observed them pushing a firebomb through the mail slot of Rynja's "£2.5m town house in Islington's Lonsdale Square" (The Guardian). Police and firefighters broke down the front door and put out the small fire.

Rynja is reportedly under police guard.

At the time I read the story in the Sunday Times, there were only three comments below it. A British Muslim had commented:

. . . I will be offended if something controversial is written about Mohammed PBUH, as much as I would be about Jesus or Moses (May peace be upon them). This is not just about free speech, it is about respecting other religions.

I refrained from adding my own comment, deciding that this blog was a better place for my opinion:

There have been numerous fictional and artistic treatments of Jesus and Moses and leaders of other religions such as the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Not all of these portraits have been flattering.

To my knowledge, no terrorist attacks resulted from any of them.

I respect all of the religions of the world, and Muslims of good faith have my sympathy and support during this difficult time in the world we share. I have nothing but disdain for those who twist and pervert the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. I hope the authorities will capture and prosecute Islamic terrorists in exactly the same way they prosecute any other terrorist.