Terror charges for Muslim firebrand

The man who threatened South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone over their controversial Mohammed episode has been arrested.

Muslim frebrand Zachary Chesser, 20, has been accused of trying to join an Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group in Somalia, and is currently awaiting to hear if he will be remanded in custody ahead of his trial.

In April, Chesser, from Virginia, posted a message on the Revolution Muslim website, saying that Stone and Parker would ‘probably end up like’ murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh.

He was taken into custody in New York as he attempted to board a plane despite being on the FBI's no-fly list.

Prosecutors allege he provided material support to the Somali al-Shabab terrorist group, including posting their propaganda online. He is said to have tried unsuccessfully to travel to Somalia to receive training from the group.

Broadcaster Comedy Central censored South Park’s 201st episode in the wake of the threat, to the dismay of fans. The animators showed Mohammed in a bear costume, to avoid directly depicting him, as forbidden by the Koran. But when the show aired, several words were bleeped out and the character had ‘censored’ sashes slapped over him, to remove all audio and visual reference to the prophet.

Van Gogh was killed in 2004 after he made a documentary on the abuse of women in Muslim countries.

Published: 26 Jul 2010