mediawatchwatch.org.uk

Mo-ro: The Jewel of Medina won't be published by Random House

The Wall Street Journal reports that Random House spiked a racy historical novel about Aisha, Mohammed’s child bride, after an American academic branded it ‘offensive’.

Sherry Jones’ The Jewel of Medina was bought from her last year for $100,000 as part of a two-book deal. However, an advance copy was sent to Denise Spellberg, an associate professor of Islamic history at the University of Texas in Austin, who apparently decided to take offence on behalf of hyper-sensitive Muslims.

I walked through a metal detector to see ‘Last Temptation of Christ,’ […] I don’t have a problem with historical fiction. I do have a problem with the deliberate misinterpretation of history. You can’t play with a sacred history and turn it into soft core pornography.

You can’t? Who says?

Spellberg contacted the publisher, urging them to shelve the “very ugly, stupid piece of work” and telling them it was “a declaration of war . . . explosive stuff . . . a national security issue.”

Here is an excerpt from the book, in which the 50-year-old prophet consummates his marriage with his young bride:

the pain of consummation soon melted away. Muhammad was so gentle. I hardly felt the scorpion’s sting. To be in his arms, skin to skin, was the bliss I had longed for all my life.

All nine years of it. But it’s okay – she was very mature for her age, you know.

Spellberg also informed a visiting lecturer, Shahed Amanullah, that the novel “made fun of Muslims and their history” and asked him to warn Muslims. Which he duly did. Soon it was all over the Muslim net, and activists started planning ways to ensure the book was withdrawn and the writer apologises etc etc.

Sherry Jones and her agent are now looking for a new publisher for the controversial Mo-ro. Fingers crossed!