Random House pulls novel on Islam, fears violence

Thu Aug 7, 2008 6:39pm EDT
By Edith Honan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Publisher Random House has pulled a novel about the Prophet Mohammed's child bride, fearing it could "incite acts of violence."

"The Jewel of Medina," a debut novel by journalist Sherry Jones, 46, was due to be published on August 12 by Random House, a unit of Bertelsmann AG, and an eight-city publicity tour had been scheduled, Jones told Reuters on Thursday.

The novel traces the life of A'isha from her engagement to Mohammed, when she was six, until the prophet's death. Jones said that she was shocked to learn in May, that publication would be postponed indefinitely.

"I have deliberately and consciously written respectfully about Islam and Mohammed ... I envisioned that my book would be a bridge-builder," said Jones.

Random House deputy publisher Thomas Perry said in a statement the company received "cautionary advice not only that the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that it could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment."

"In this instance we decided, after much deliberation, to postpone publication for the safety of the author, employees of Random House, booksellers and anyone else who would be involved in distribution and sale of the novel," Perry said.

Jones, who has just completed a sequel to the novel examining her heroine's later life, is free to sell her book to other publishers, Perry said.

The decision has sparked controversy on Internet blogs and in academic circles. Some compared the controversy to previous cases where portrayals of Islam were met with violence.

Protests and riots erupted in many Muslim countries in 2006 when cartoons, one showing the Prophet Mohammed wearing a turban resembling a bomb, appeared in a Danish newspaper. At least 50 people were killed and Danish embassies attacked.

British author Salman Rushdie's 1988 book "The Satanic Verses" was met with riots across the Muslim world. Rushdie was forced into hiding for several years after Iran's then supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, proclaimed a death edict, or fatwa, against him.

Jones, who has never visited the Middle East, spent several years studying Arab history and said the novel was a synthesis of all she had learned.

"They did have a great love story," Jones said of Mohammed and A'isha, who is often referred to as Mohammed's favorite wife. "He died with his head on her breast."

(Editing by Alan Elsner)

This is the publisher of Atlas Shrugged?

Perry said "postpone publication." Does that mean delay or cancel?

Michael

Michael wrote: "Perry said 'postpone publication.' Does that mean delay or cancel?"

It means cancel -- or, a synonym, delay until terrorism and the threat of terrorism have vanished from the planet; in other words, until there is little point in publishing it.

Random House has totally disgraced itself. Would these same people have said, in the 30s, that they would not publish an anti-Nazi book because the Nazis might not like it and, along with the German Bund in this country, they might become violent? -- or that they would not publish an anti-Communist book, or a book by an atheist, for similar reasons?...yes, they probahly would have said it.

I looked at the Random House list of its present bestsellers, to see what these heroes think is more appropriate to publish in today's world. There is The Third Jesus, announced as "an answer to this question that is both a challenge to current systems of belief and a fresh perspective on what Jesus can teach us all, regardless of our religious background" -- and Escape, "the dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one woman’s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children " (Dont be concerned that this latter book deals with the Muslim rellgion; it's about the already-discredited offshoot of Mormonism recently in the news.) -- and The Road, which "boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, 'each the other's world entire,' are sustained by love." These may or may not be fine books, but I doubt that anyone wll get into trouble for publishing them.

I am reminded of Rand's description of The Banner, in The Fountainhead: "The Banner led great, brave crusades -- on issue that had no opposition."

As Edmund Burke wrote, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Barbara

Yes, postpone indefinitely is weaselese for cancel. Let's hope Jones gets a good publisher, a good lawyer, and a good publicist. Being publicly dropped like this can be great publicity. I wonder if proof copies of the book have been released?

A simple gesture:

Browse to: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345503163

and click on the button to be notified when the book comes out. At least you can help to let Random House know the potential the book has/had.

Bill P (Alfonso)

The mere fact that a book has been censored, in the wider sense, for a stupid reason doesn't necessarily mean that the book is any good. Given the titles which are listed as "also purchased" by amazon, I wonder if this is not just some pulp fiction marketed to women. But I have signed up for eamil notification in any case, since doing so doesn't necessarily mean that it's the kind of book I would normally read.

Ted: "The mere fact that a book has been censored, in the wider sense, for a stupid reason doesn't necessarily mean that the book is any good."

You're quite right. I didn't like Rushdie's book, but I bought it anyway, And I'll sign up to be notified about this one for the same reason.

Barbara

Barbara and Others; I would like to draw everyone's attention to Denise Spellberg's letter in the Wall Street Journal of August 9-10th titled "I Didn't Kill 'The Jewel of Medina' which states that several scholars recommend against publishing the book. Ms. Spellberg states that she teaches "Satanic Verses" The last line of her letter says that novels "should get history right."

Ms. Spellberg states that corporate interests may have been involved which suggests that Random House may have been afraid of Islamic terrorists but her letter does suggest another explanation.

Couldn't the author get another publisher.

The Last Patriot: A Thriller
by Brad Thor

Apparently Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster (owned by CBS Corporation of all things), has no such problems. The book above, which is a national bestseller, rewrites Islamic history as a back-story for a thriller, claiming that Mohammad had a final revelation that was suppressed by his disciples.

Here is what Glenn Beck had to say about it, along with author Brad Thor:

The Da Vinci Code of Islam


America still is the land of free speech for those who are not afraid to exercise that right.

Brad Thor claimed he is getting death threats because of this book. He deserves high praise for standing up where those without courage fail.

Michael

Is there any indication of either a Sunni or Shi'ite -fatwah- being issued against Thor or has he been harrassed by Muslim individuals, much as the publishers of the cartoons mocking Mohamed.

Having a fatwah issued by an imam of high standing is the equivalent of a death contract signed by the Pope.

Perhaps what Thor says about threats is true, or perhaps not. In any case, such a story can only promote his book.

It sounds like -National Treasure- and -The Da Vince Code- all; over gain. After reading -The Da Vinci Code- I swore an oath I would never spend time reading one of those conspiratorial books ever again.

If you have to read that type of novel, go first class. Read Umberto Ecco's -Focault's Pendulum- published in 1988. It has been referred to as the thinking person's Da Vinci Code.

Ba'al Chatzaf