No book that fails to defer to Islamist sensitivities may be published in America, according to Random House. There is just too much danger of violence and murder.

Starting in 2002, Spokane, Wash., journalist Sherry Jones toiled weekends on a racy historical novel about Aisha, the young wife of the prophet Muhammad. Ms. Jones learned Arabic, studied scholarly works about Aisha's life, and came to admire her protagonist as a woman of courage. When Random House bought her novel last year in a $100,000, two-book deal, she was ecstatic. This past spring, she began plans for an eight-city book tour after the Aug. 12 publication date of "The Jewel of Medina" -- a tale of lust, love and intrigue in the prophet's harem.

It's not going to happen: In May, Random House abruptly called off publication of the book. The series of events that torpedoed this novel are a window into how quickly fear stunts intelligent discourse about the Muslim world.

And it looks like Denise Spellberg, a faculty member at the University of Texas, is right in the middle of stirring up the radicals who led to this act of censorship.

Seems to me that we taxpayers here in Texas should quit paying her to engage in unAmerican activities during her classroom time.

I demand that Random House either change its name to Dhimmi House or immediately publish The Jewel of Medina -- or surrender its rights at no cost to any publisher willing to do so.

Posted by: Greg at 03:43 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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