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Pennsylvania Woman Indicted In Conspiracy To Kill Muhammad Cartoonist

By Howard M. Friedman

According to the New York Times, yesterday federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment (full text) against a Pennsylvania woman who was charged with conspiracy in a plot to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks. An Al Qaeda linked group placed a $100,000 bounty on Vilks because of his cartoon of the prophet Muhammad atop the body of a dog. (See prior postings 1, 2 .) The woman who is charged is Colleen LaRose, an American from suburban Philadelphia who is also known as "Fatima LaRose" and as "Jihad Jane." According to a Department of Justice press release, LaRose used the Internet to recruit others to wage and support violent Jihad in South Asia and Europe. She apparently traveled to Europe after being ordered to kill cartoonist Vilks in a way that would frighten "the whole Kufar [non-believer] world." LaRose was arrested in October, but the indictment was kept under seal until yesterday when seven Muslims who are charged with being part of the same plot against Vilks were arrested in Ireland. (Pakistan Daily Times.)

UPDATE: AP reports that after the arrests in Ireland, three Swedish newspapers on Wednesday reprinted the Lars Vilks cartoon as part of their coverage of the story.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 10, 2010 (boomark / email).