Controversial book publisher's house petrol bombed
Four people have been arrested on terrorism charges in Islington, London, England, after a suspected petrol bombing on the house of Martin Rynja, owner of book publishing company Gibson Square.
His company recently sparked controversy after buying the rights to publish The Jewel of Medina, a work of fiction by Sherry Jones depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad and his child bride, Aisha.
The bombing, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning, led to the evacuation of the £2.5 million property in Lonsdale Square. Three men, aged 22, 30 and 40, were arrested at 2:25am BST by armed officers, two in Lonsdale Square, and one after being stopped near Angel tube station. Later on Saturday, a woman was arrested for obstructing police during their searches of four addresses - two in Walthamstow, one in Ilford, and the last in Forest Gate.
Speaking earlier this month, Mr Rynja said that "The Jewel of Medina has become an important barometer of our time. As an independent publishing company, we feel strongly that we should not be afraid of the consequences of debate." Ms Jones commented that she did not intend for her novel to be offensive to Islam. She noted that she "[has] deliberately and consciously written respectfully about Islam and Muhammad." She "envisaged that [her] book would be a bridge builder" between Islam and the western world.
Sources
- "Book link probed after petrol bomb". The Press Association, September 28, 2008
- Jamie Doward and Mark Townsend "Firebomb attack on book publisher". guardian.co.uk, September 28, 2008
- Andrew Alderson "North London terror arrests linked to controversial Muslim book". Telegraph.co.uk, September 28, 2008
- Wikinews
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