Trio charged for attacking home of publisher of controversial Prophet Mohamad book

London, Oct.3 (ANI): London's Metropolitan Police has charged three men for attacking the home of a man who is seekin to publish a controversial novel about Prophet Mohammed.

Ali Beheshti, 40, Abrar Mirza, 22, and Abbas Taj, 30, are to appear before a court for their role in carrying out a suspected petrol bomb attack on the north London home of Martin Rynja, the director of Gibson Square, an independent publishing house last Saturday.

The three men are charged with conspiring without lawful excuse to damage the premises between September 8 and 27, intending to destroy or damage property with intent to endanger life, and "being reckless as to whether the life of another would thereby be endangered".

Beheshti was further charged with "possession of a weapon designed or adapted for the discharge of a noxious liquid or gas contrary to the Firearms Act", police said.

The men were remanded in custody and will appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Rynja was planning to release the controversial novel "The Jewel of the Medina in the UK" written by American author Sherry Jones.

Publishers in the US pulled the novel over fears it would anger Muslims, while a publisher in Serbia withdrew it from the shelves after protests from local Islamic leaders, who said it insulted Mohammed and his family.

Announcing the publication of the novel last month, 44-year-old Rynja said he felt such books were an important part of a liberal democracy. (ANI)