Scotland Yard has foiled a terrorist plot against the publisher of The Jewel of Medina, a hotly controversial book that some Muslims find offensive.

A “petrol bomb” was pushed through the door of publisher Martin Rynja’s London home. undercover police, who had been following the suspects, quickly arrested three me and the fire was put out.

The source of controversy is a scene in which Aisha, the child bride of the Prohpet Mohammed, is described in an imaginary sex scene.

Random House withdrew the book’s publication in the United States because the publisher feared a violent reaction by “a small radical segment” of Muslims. The American author of The Jewel of Medina, Sherry Jones, says she has received death threats.

Wrote the Times of London:

“Yesterday, Natasha Kern, Jones’s agent, said she was shocked to learn of the attack. She said the book had been misinterpreted by its critics and did not contain sex scenes, as had been alleged.

“ ‘I honestly believe that if people read the book they will see it is not disrespectful of Muhammad, and moderate Muslims will not be offended. I don’t want anyone to risk their lives but we could never imagine that there would be some madmen who would do something like this. I’m so sad about this act of terrorism. Moderate Muslims will suffer because of a few radicals.’ ”

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For those who can bear it, take a look at Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11, by Lynn Spencer.
Spencer, a commercial pilot herself, was deeply touched by the events of 9/11. In the wake of the 9/11 Commission’s report, she believed part of the story remained untold. This touched off a three-year quest, which resulted in Touching History.

A Milwaukee native, her story appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

“Spencer decided to write her book after realizing there were untold stories from the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The Air Line Pilots Association sent a letter to its members asking those with stories about Sept. 11, 2001, to contact Spencer. That’s how she came in contact with Gerald Earwood, pilot of Midwest Flight 7.”
(Earwood was piloting the plane that nearly collided with United Airlines Flight 175, the second airplane to hit the World Trade Center.)

“Spencer also interviewed air traffic controllers, military pilots and Federal Aviation Administration officials and reviewed public documents to write Touching History.”

Here ’s excerpt of an excerpt:
Boston Center, Nashua, New Hampshire, 7:59 a.m.

American Flight 11 receives takeoff clearance at 7:59 and is handed over from the controllers at Logan to the FAA’s Boston Center after reaching 11,000 feet. The plane appears on Pete Zalewski’s radar screen just after passing through 20,000 feet, and he radios the flight crew climb and course instructions.

“American 11, turn 20 degrees right.”

“20 right. American 11,” comes the prompt reply from the cockpit.

“American 11, now climb/maintain flight level 3-5-0,” Zalewski continues, instructing them to head up to 35,000 feet.

He receives no response.

“American 11,” he repeats, “climb/maintain flight level 3-5-0.”

Still nothing.

“American 11, Boston,” he radios, requesting a call back from the pilots. “American 11, uh, the American on the frequency, how do you hear me?”

That was just the beginning.

Touching History, ISBN 978-1-4165-5925-2, is published by Free Press, a Simon & Schuster imprint.