海角大神

Ironically, it was Sherry Jones's hope that her book would contribute to global peace. So far, it has turned out quite to the contrary.

Jones, who lives in Spokane, Wash., and was once a newspaper reporter in Montana, is the author of "," a debut novel based on the life of , the prophet 鈥檚 youngest and favorite wife.

Jones has said in interviews that she began writing "The Jewel of Medina" in 2002 as her own 鈥減ersonal response鈥� to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. 鈥淎s I read 鈥� books by western scholars, Islamic scholars, religious clerics, ancient Arabic poetry 鈥� what I gained from my reading was an impression of Islam being a religion of, primarily, peace,鈥� she told London's . Jone also said that "she came to respect Muhammad as a leader who introduced women鈥檚 rights centuries before women鈥檚 lib."

It looked for a while as if Jones's project were moving exactly in the direction that she had hoped. Jones sold her book to and seemed to be cruising smoothly toward a big release in August.

Then Jones sent a copy of the manuscript to academic , an associate professor of Islamic history at the University of Texas, hoping that Spellberg would like the book and write a laudatory blurb for use on the jacket. Instead, Spellberg, offended by sexuality in the book (which includes a portrayal of the wedding night of Muhammad and Aisha), labeled it 鈥渟oft-core pornography鈥� and said it was 鈥渕ore dangerous than The Satanic Verses or the Danish cartoons."

Spellberg reportedly informed Random House that publication would expose the company and its employees to Islamic terrorism.

Random House grew nervous and dropped the project. In the UK, Martin Rynja, the Dutch-born owner of , a small, independent publishing house in London, took it up 鈥� only to have his house north London聽 firebombed last weekend. It's not yet clear whether or not Gibson Square will go forward with the book.

In New York, however, small publisher has picked the book up and advanced its release date to tomorrow, Monday, Oct. 6, when 50,000 copies of the book will be made available to the public.

Jones says in a that she is very eager for readers to have a chance to experience "The Jewel of Medina" for themselves.

"We're getting the book out there as quickly as possible before more tempers flare over a book that nobody has read," Jones told The .

Jones says "The Jewel of Medina" has been sold to publishers in about a dozen countries. In Serbia, where the book has already been released, there were initially objections but according to Jones, these have quieted as readers have been able to read the book for themselves.

"Anyone who reads my book will see it's not offensive in any way," she told the Wall Street Journal.