British plans for The Jewel of Medina stalled
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | 6:22 PM ET
CBC News
Plans for the British publication of the controversial novel The Jewel of Medina are in doubt three days after a firebomb was thrown at the London publisher's office.
On Tuesday, The Bookseller magazine in London reported publisher Martin Rynja was reconsidering a decision to publish the novel, written from the point of view of the Prophet Mohammad's favourite wife.
The Bookseller quoted Alan Jessop of Compass, the publisher's sales representative, as saying Rynja had "put publication in suspended animation while he reflects and takes advice on what the best foot forward is."
Rynja himself did not comment.
London police are questioning three suspects in connection with the fire bombing of Rynja's home, which also doubles as offices for publishing house Gibson Square.
Gibson Square was scheduled to publish The Jewel of Medina on Oct. 30 in the U.K.
A fire was started Saturday night in the offices of Gibson Square, which doubles as Rynja's home, but was quickly extinguished.
Following the fire, Beaufort Books, the U.S. publisher of the book, closed its New York headquarters as a precaution.
Random House backed out of publishing the novel by U.S. writer Sherry Jones in August after being advised that Muslims might be offended by the content.
Part of the concern in Britain might be whether bookstores are willing to carry the novel, which tells the story of Mohammad's third wife, Aisha, who became a leader in Islam.
Waterstone's, a major British chain of booksellers, said it had not decided what it would do, but that the safety of customers and employees was paramount.
Waterstone's said it 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, which Muslims said was offensive.
Rushdie, who lived in hiding for years after the outcry, criticized Random House in August for failing to publish The Jewel of Medina.
Beaufort Books has issued a statement saying it plans to go ahead with U.S. publication of the book on Oct. 15.
With files from the Associated Press
