ALI BEHESHTI

Very interesting news on the BBC about our old friend Ali Beheshti's turn around. As I have said before he was always one of the friendliest people outside Finsbury park and I was surprised when he was arrested for fire bombing.

I filmed him playing with fire outside the US embassy, he is the guy holding the burning picture of George Bush

IF YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY...

Though I am not sure which country it is legal to chuck diesel through strangers letterboxes and attempt arson... Yup. Mr Beheshti, or Abu Jihad and his pals have been sentenced to four and a half years. I like what the judge says

Sentencing Ali Beheshti, 41, and two accomplices to four and a half years, Mrs Justice Rafferty told them: 'If you choose to live in this country, you live by its rules.'

'There is no such thing as "a la carte citizenship" and, in your case, there is no such thing as "a la carte obedience" to the law.'

I don't remember Beheshti ever claiming there was anything called A la Carte citizenship. I thought it was all about Shariah law. He never spoke French to me anyway.

Andrew Hall, QC, said in mitigation for Beheshti that the arson attack was “an act of protest born of the publication of a book felt by him and other Muslims to be disrespectful, provocative and offensive.

“He wishes me to say now, publicly, that he considers his conduct to have been misguided, disproportionate and counter-productive,” he added.

The Jewel of Medina has yet to be published in Britain.

As I have said before, he was always one of the friendliest people I met in Finsbury. The moral of the story? Just because someone has kind, sparkling eyes and is really friendly it doesn't mean that they aren't going to lob diesel through someones letterbox and set alight to it one day in the future. Very sobbering.

Times, Daily Mail, Guardian, The Book Seller, BBC, Telegraph

ALI BEHESHTI "Cross Burning" EPISODE

BEHESHTI

More from the trial including CCTV imagery

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BEHESHTI

A minicab driver waited in a getaway car while two accomplices firebombed the north London publisher of a controversial novel about the Prophet Mohammed, a court has heard.
Abbas Taj drove through Lonsdale Square, Islington, where the publisher was based, twice before parking nearby.

He then waited while his accomplices poured diesel through the letterbox of publishing house Gibson Square and set fire to it, a jury at Croydon Crown Court was told.

David Waters QC, prosecuting, said Taj drove off when armed police pounced on Ali Beheshti and Abrar Mirza but was pursued and arrested nearby.

Beheshti, 41, and Mirza, 23, pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy to recklessly damage property and endanger life...

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THAT WAS QUICK

..Two men today admitted plotting to firebomb the home of the publisher of a controversial novel about the prophet Muhammad.

Ali Beheshti, 41, and Abrar Mirza, 23, pleaded guilty at Croydon crown court to conspiracy to recklessly damage property and endanger life...

I am told that the guy who jumps into shot on the right at 6.08 is Ali Beheshdi. As I have said before he was always one of the most aproachable people outside Finsbury.

ALI BEHESHTI

A FOREST Gate minicab driver is among three men who deny being part of an alleged arson attack on the home of a businessman who published a controversial novel about the prophet Mohammed.

Abbas Taj, 30, of Field Road; Ali Beheshti, 40, and Abrar Mirza, 22, all denied claims put to them at a brief hearing. They will go before a jury at Croydon Crown Court on April 21.

They are accused of various conspiracy and arson charges in relation to an alleged attack in September last year at the Islington home of publisher Martin Rynja.

Ali Beheshti, or Abu Jihad as he sometimes called himself is the only ex Finsbury park attendee that I have seen since with the ex-Al Muj/Bakri crew. He was always one of the friendliest people to me in Finsbury park. I will pop down to his trial if I can.

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