Scaring artists works
Andrew Bolt –
Some might complain about the tactics:
A MAN has been convicted of involvement in firebombing a London publisher behind The Jewel of Medina, a controversial crappy book about the child bride of the Islamic prophet Mohammed.
Yep, that’s him. You handsome devil, you. And he ain’t no artist either…
But the fact is that it works, particularly with the brave free-speech souls of the arts community:
Publishers Random House decided not to put out the book because of fears it could offend Muslims, while another major US publisher also pulled out. Gibson Square delayed publication of the book following the attack.
So much safer for our daring artists to do this, instead:
Christians have expressed outrage at an ad that depicts the Virgin Mary with male genitalia on her forehead.
And this:
The Chaser’s executive producer, and comedian Craig Reucassel decided to fly a helium-filled blimp at the front of St Peter’s Square, close to St Peter’s Basilica. … Apparently the blimp contained a rude message for Pope Benedict XVI …
Perhaps Abbas Taj should consider himself a lucky man.
He is a trustee of Muslim Prisoner Support Group, a British charity. It campaigns for convicted and suspected Islamist terrorists and supporters of terrorism, such as Omar Abdel Rahman and Babar Ahmad (pdf).
Well, Taj needs the services of his own outfit now. He has been found guilty of firebombing the London home of publisher Martin Rynja in September 2008.
Rynja planned to publish the novel Jewel of Medina. Abbas Taj and his accomplices Ali Beheshti and Abrar Mirza chose fire as his punishment.
Fortunately the police were all over the trio. Officers followed them on the night of the attack and arrested Beheshti and Mirza at the scene. The fire was quickly put out.
The men were under surveillance by police who had warned Martin Rynja, 43, and his partner, to move out of their four-storey townhouse, which had an office in the basement. More>>
