The Sword is Mightier than the Pen

by Mike Duran

There has been a surprising indifference among Christian writers about Random House's decision to forgo publishing The Jewel of Medina. Like the proverbial frog in the boiling water, we just wipe our brow and ignore the obvious. As you know, the publishers felt that the novel about the child bride of Mohammed would incite Muslim backlash. Their official statement reads thus:

After sending out advance editions of the novel THE JEWEL OF MEDINA, we received in response, from credible and unrelated sources, cautionary advice not only that the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that it could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment.

We felt an obligation to take these concerns very seriously. We consulted with security experts as well as with scholars of Islam, whom we asked to review the book and offer their assessments of potential reactions.

We stand firmly by our responsibility to support our authors and the free discussion of ideas, even those that may be construed as offensive by some. However, a publisher must weigh that responsibility against others that it also bears, and in this instance we decided, after much deliberation, to postpone publication for the safety of the author, employees of Random House, booksellers and anyone else who would be involved in distribution and sale of the novel.

The novel follows A'isha from her engagement to Mohammed, when she was six, until the prophet's death. Author Sherry Jones stated, "I have deliberately and consciously written respectfully about Islam and Mohammed ... I envisioned that my book would be a bridge-builder." However, after receiving "cautionary advice," Random House has concluded that "the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that it could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment."

There is so much hypocrisy and double-standards when it comes to the global community's -- and now the literary community's -- approach toward Islam, it's hard to know where to begin.

For one, the "small, radical segment" that Random House fears will be moved to violence is probably the same teensy weensy fringe groups that erupted in riots in 2006 after cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed appeared in a Danish newspaper. At least 50 people were killed in the violence and Danish embassies were attacked. Or the same year when the Pope's comments about Islamic violence ignited outrage and protests around the Muslim world, from Iran to Pakistan to Indonesia, resulting in the fire-bombing of four churches in the West Bank. Or how about when thousands of Islamic fanatics wielding clubs and knives marched through the streets of Khartoum demanding the execution of the teacher whose class named a teddy bear Mohammed. Or perhaps the 2002 Nigerean beauty pageant that led to massive Muslim riots and the death of 200 people.

Is this the "small, radical segment" Random House is worried about?

Even worse than their refusal to acknowledge the breadth of Islamic violence, is the appalling double standard. As Catholic League president Bill Donahue has noted,

There are several issues here. First, where is the outcry from the academic community about the scare tactics of Denise Spellberg, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin? She was the one who sounded the alarms and even got her lawyer to warn Random House that her name was not to be associated with her demagoguery. Second, it is known that the woman whom Jones is writing about, Aisha, was, in fact, six years old when Muhammad wrote the marriage contract; she was nine when the marriage was consummated. So now no one can write a historical novel about his perversions? Third, Doubleday published Dan Brown’s anti-Catholic novel, The Da Vinci Code, and Doubleday is owned by Random House. So what does it take for Random House not to offend religious sensibilities? Threats of violence? Great message.

Can Random House's hypocrisy be any more evident? They apparently had little problem publishing a book (The Da Vinci Code) that undermined Christian history, called into question its most sacred figure, and insulted tens of thousands of believers. Nevertheless, they quaver in fear about offending the sensibilities of the Muslim community... even if the story is based on historical facts.

But perhaps equally foreboding is the apathy of Christian writers toward this decision and our apparent inability to discern its implications. What does it matter that a major publishing house caved in to religious extremists? As long as we have our Christian labels, Christian book stores, and Christian fan clubs, who cares how hot the water is. But how long before the PC police come knocking on our door? If this type of censorship continues, there may come a day when "that small, radical segment" demands that we Christians stop claiming that Jesus is the only way to God (Jn. 14:6) and that Mohammed is not one of His prophets. And if we don't...?

It used to be that freedom of speech and truth in journalism were big issues in the artistic community, issues worth fighting for. But the decision by Random House to cancel publication of The Jewel of Medina because of potential threats of violence by a "small, radical segment" heralds an ominous new age. Maybe there was a time when the pen was mightier than the sword. But, thanks to the "Religion of Peace" and publishers like Random House, that time is now history.