Novel about Prophet's wife uncertain after attack

Source AP

LONDON (AP) — Plans for the British publication of a controversial novel about a young wife of the Prophet Muhammad are stalled following a fire at the publisher's London office, a sales representative for the company was quoted Tuesday as saying.

The report came a day after the U.S. publisher of the book, Beaufort Books, announced that it had closed its offices as a "precautionary action" but intended to go ahead with its publication of "The Jewel of Medina" next month.

Beaufort took on American author Sherry Jones' novel after it was dropped by Random House Inc., which feared Muslims would be offended by its subject matter. The novel is about Aisha, who according to tradition was 9 when she became the wife of the Prophet Muhammad, and became a formidable figure in her own right.

On Tuesday, a report on The Bookseller magazine Web site said British publication plans had been thrown into doubt after a weekend fire at an office of publisher Gibson Square.

London's Metropolitan Police are still questioning three suspects arrested early Saturday morning in connection with the fire.

The Bookseller quoted Alan Jessop of Compass, the publisher's sales representative, as saying he had discussed the situation with publisher Martin Rynja.

"He is in good spirits, but has put publication in suspended animation while he reflects and takes advice on what the best foot forward is," Jessop was quoted as saying.

Jessop refused to expand on his remarks or to discuss the situation in a telephone conversation with The Associated Press. Rynja could not be reached for comment.

Rynja announced Sept. 8 that his company would publish "The Jewel of Medina" in a two-book deal with Jones.

"I was immediately taken with what the novel tried to achieve and the moving love story and interesting but still unknown history it portrays," he said at the time.

Waterstone's, a major British chain of booksellers, said it had not decided what it would do if the book was published.

The company said that the safety of customers and employees was paramount and that it was talking to the supplier of "The Jewel of Medina" regarding publication, but would not comment further until the book's status was clear.

In 1989, there were mass protests worldwide following the publication of Salman Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses," because it allegedly insulted Islam. Rushdie lived in hiding and under guard for years after Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, called for his death.

There were much smaller protests in June after Rushdie accepted a knighthood at Buckingham Palace. Demonstrators, some wearing masks, chanted "Death to Rushdie! Death to the queen!" outside Regent's Park Mosque.

Rushdie joined in criticism of Random House, his publisher, for dropping Jones' book. "This is censorship by fear, and it sets a very bad precedent," he said in an e-mail to the AP earlier this year.

Random House was supposed to publish Jones' novel in August, but said in a statement that "credible and unrelated sources" had warned that the book "could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment."

Beaufort, the U.S. publisher that issued O.J. Simpson's reviled, once-rejected "If I Did It," plans to release "The Jewel of Medina" on Oct. 15, with a first printing of 50,000.

As of Monday afternoon, the book was No. 204 on Amazon.com. Barnes & Noble Inc. and Borders Group Inc. will both stock the book in stores, spokeswomen for the superstore chains said.