3 Men Charged With Publisher Attack Plot
October 4, 2008 by national
Filed under World Report
Three men charged with plotting to attack the publisher of a novel about the Prophet Muhammad’s child bride made a brief court appearance Friday after being charged with plotting to damage the offices of Gibson Square publishers.
Ali Beheshti, 40, Abrar Mirza, 22, and Abbas Taj, 30, Beheshti also were charged with possession of a weapon designed or adapted for the discharge of a noxious liquid or gas reportedly a gasoline bomb. No one was injured in the incident.
The suspects were returned to jail and their next court appearance is set for Oct. 17.
They were arrested early Sept. 27 under anti-terrorism laws, but were not charged with any terrorist offenses.
Gibson Square had announced on Sept. 8 it would publish “The Jewel of Medina” by U.S. author Sherry Jones. The novel is focused on the prophet’s wife Aisha, who according to tradition was 9 when she became the wife of the Prophet Muhammad.
Random House Inc., backed off plans to publish the book in the United States citing credible threats the book “could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment.”
