Tragically, the New York Times reports that the upcoming publication of Sherry Jones' novel The Jewel of Medina has led to an act of terrorism: a failed attempt to bomb the British publisher. Nobody was injured; it appears that British law enforcement was aware of the plot in advance.
What strikes me as different about this attack versus the numerous other recent incidents of Islamic extremists inflicting violence in response to the exercise of free speech is the fact that the novel is still yet to be published anywhere: the people who planned and carried out this attack can't have read the book. (Of course, no doubt many of those who protested (or worse) The Satanic Verses hadn't read it, but they were following the edicts of Islamic religious leaders -- presumably somebody in that loop had actually read and been offended by the actual book.) Unless the mere idea of any fictional representation of a wife of Muhammad is deemed so offensive as to warrant violence (which hardly seems to be the case), it seems reasonable to assume that it was press accounts of the "controversy" over The Jewel of Medina that led to this attempted terrorism. Indeed, British Muslim extremist Anjem Choudary, who went on the BBC and all but incited further violence against the book, did so while parroting Denise Spellberg's talking points about the book being soft-core pornography. (I somehow doubt Choudary was given an advance reading copy...)
In order words, Denise Spellberg's prediction that the book would lead to violence has become self-fulfilling. Congratulations, Professor Spellberg: you've just issued your first fatwa. Hope you enjoy having blood on your hands.
Comments