Pajamas Media

66 Comments

1. Ed Wallis:

NOTE - WRITTEN WITH SARCASM: Maybe it will take Random House’s publication of a couple of books like “Enjoying marriage and sex with nine-year-old girls like Aisha” TO WAKE AMERICANS UP TO THIS SELF-ANNIHILATING COWARDICE.

Aug 12, 2008 - 2:52 am 2. Mary Jackson:

Well said. Whether the book is offensive to Muslims or not - and whether it is any good or not - is neither here nor there.

And who gets to decide these things? If not Muslim thugs, then bureaucrats, as Ezra Levant found to his cost.

Aug 12, 2008 - 3:29 am 3. Dodgeblogium » ‘The Jewel of Medina’ and the Cowardly Surrender of RH:

[...] fear felt by Random House condemn the violent principles of the gangsters they’re appeasing. read more | digg [...]

Aug 12, 2008 - 3:48 am 4. moreland:

Extremely well thought out and well penned. Kudos to Mr. Klavan!

Aug 12, 2008 - 4:21 am 5. Boris:

“And one of the big advantages to that citizenship is the Constitution and its protections of free speech and freedom of the press.”

This isn’t a free speech issue, do you see why?

“our rights to publish”

Cool! I didn’t know I had a right to be published by Random House.

BTW, I agree with the criticism of RH here, but let’s not overdo it and say we’re having rights taken away.

Aug 12, 2008 - 5:20 am 6. Jay:

This serves as another in a long line of wakeup calls about political correctness destroying our freedom of speech. We’ve talked about it here at pajamas media at length even as the liberal loons were attacking us for speaking about it. Unfortunately this PC crap will continue so we must fight it with voice and vote. When someone tries to bring up something like the so-called “fairness doctrine” they have to be called out on it. When freedom of speech is squelched all is lost. The mainstream media has sold out and the publishing companies are following suite.

Aug 12, 2008 - 5:28 am 7. Webutante:

Wonderful piece and a good reminder that we lose our freedoms quietly, one cowardly decision at a time.

We can’t be silent; we can’t let these elite people rewrite our history, reinterpret our Constitution or lead us to forget who we are. I too am a US citizen and not a citizen of the world. Well said.

Aug 12, 2008 - 6:05 am 8. Susan Katz Keating:

Well put, Mr. Klavan. Wouldn’t it be lovely to see this essay reproduced on the cover of Publishers Weekly.

Aug 12, 2008 - 6:08 am 9. schnargley:

I applaud the sensitivity shown to the Islamic community by Random House’s brave and generous decision not to publish this offensive book. We need more of this kind of cultural awareness in order to live together in a multi-cultural world commuity, so as not to be needlessly provoking each other into acts of violence. It is high time we in the west learn some humility. If Congress and others in the west can ask forgiveness for the Jim Crow laws, discrimination era, among other acts of offense, cannot we do the same?

To the Islam community: We are sorry for our insensitive attitudes to Allah and The Prophet (PBUH) that have so provoked and angered you, even in some cases, into understandable violence. We are sorry for the insulting cartoons that dared portray the Prophet (PBUH) as a violent, angry person. We are sorry for invading your lands under the pretense of being attacked supposedly on 9/11 and all the persecution of Muslims since. We are sorry for the Crusades, for supporting the Jews, for our stubbornness in not accepting Islam the one true religion, for saying things like Mohammed (PBUH) was a filthy pervert when he forced the nine-year old daughter of his most faithful war general to marry him although he didn’t have sex with her until she was 11. We are sorry for offending you. We ask you give us a chance to learn better about your ways and your wonderful religion of mercy, peace, and love.

Aug 12, 2008 - 6:40 am 10. Bill N:

Could Pajamas Media find the storage space and bandwidth to publish the book electronically and would PJ readers be willing to pay the author royalties to read it? I’ll buy it. Now that it’s controversial my interest is aroused, something that probably wouldn’t have happened if RH had published it without all the hoopla.

Aug 12, 2008 - 6:42 am 11. PhillyChief:

For more on this, check out AGP episode #26 where the issue is discussed for nearly an hour.

I certainly agree that Random House’s actions are an embarrassment to us all. THIS is the war on terror, and clearly we’re losing if a major publisher in America can be bullied by the threat of Muslim yahoos to stop publication of a novel. How can it be said that we’re fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them here when things like this happen?

And Spellberg should be ostracized for her role in this.

Aug 12, 2008 - 6:47 am 12. Bill in New York:

in the WSJ I believe it stated that the book was being shopped around to find another publisher… in this day and age of digital media and high tech equipment, it seems to me that it doesn’t take a Random House to publish the book… so, I think it’s time for someone else to step up and publish the book. There seems to be a lot of critics of Random House, calling them cowards for not publishing the book, any volunteers?

Aug 12, 2008 - 6:48 am 13. Bill in New York:

Schnargley: who’s this “we”, tonto?

Aug 12, 2008 - 7:13 am 14. CR:

While I don’t agree with Random House’s cowardly decision to not publish the book, they do have a right to choose what they do and do not publish. There are other publishers, and self-publication is always an option.

I’m left wondering who Random House thinks will buy their books in the future? Surely they don’t think Muslims will help them out when their sales plummet. Random House is free to run their company as they see fit, but consumers are free to punish them for poor decisions. Random House will probably not listen to gripping and complaints, but they will listen to their bottom line. Don’t buy their books, and encourage authors to seek other publishers. Visit your local library instead of purchasing their books.

One thing is certain - if Random House can’t do their job properly then someone else will fill the void. Free enterprise and competition will beat PC nonsense every time.

Aug 12, 2008 - 7:16 am 15. Bill Perron:

Eventually this book will be published, after all the publicity it has gotten it is sure to be a best seller. To much money to be made for it not to happen. And if the weirdoes do protest then the sales go even higher. Capitalism trumps religion every time. Allah may great, but the buck is greater.

Aug 12, 2008 - 7:27 am 16. jay kactuz:

There is nothing more important to Muslims than ending our freedom of speech. Without the liberty to voice our opinions, or to even have an opinion, we are nothing. We are defeated.

Any issue is game. It doesn’t even have to be really negative about Islam. Anything that works to cower the West is a step in the direction that brings Muslims closer to victory.

Understand that there is no such thing as a “moderate” Muslim. Any Muslim, all Muslims, seek to silence those who dare criticize their religion or dear prophet. The fact is that the Quran and hadith are full of hate and violence. The hadith tell us that Mohammad did dozens of raids on unbelievers, plundered, killed, tortured, enslaved and raped - and even beat his own wife (The object of the story here however I doubt that the author will tell it has it is recorded).

Muslims don’t want to talk about these things so the only solution is to silence the infidels, one at a time, until they give up their freedoms.

Pathetic!

Kactuz
http://www.kactuzkid.com/lies.html

Aug 12, 2008 - 7:33 am 17. Ethan:

Bravo, Mr. Klavan.

I think some of you are missing the point. The novel may be published elsewhere or self-published or whatever, but Random House is one of the biggest names in publishing - that they would do something like this sets a horrifying precedent.

Aug 12, 2008 - 7:37 am 18. kgs_mvs:

schnargley: I almost though you were serious until I got the “filthy pervert” line. It looks like others (Bill in New York perhaps?) might not have gotten that far before deciding that you were auditioning for the NYT editorial board.

Boris: I don’t believe the author was trying to say that we have a “right to be published”. He was merely stating that freedom of the press is a right that we, publishers like RH included, should defend.

Nice article, Mr. Klaven.

Aug 12, 2008 - 7:53 am 19. SuzEQCitizen:

kgs_mvs:
“schnargley: I almost though you were serious until I got the “filthy pervert” line. It looks like others (Bill in New York perhaps?) might not have gotten that far before deciding that you were auditioning for the NYT editorial board.”

LOL The “filthy pervert” made the bell in my head go ding, ding, ding, but the “wonderful religion of mercy, peace, and love.” clinched it for me!

::still laughin’::

Aug 12, 2008 - 8:42 am 20. SuzEQCitizen:

Oops! Forgot to say, excellent article, Mr. Klavin, very well stated.

Aug 12, 2008 - 8:50 am 21. tanstaafl:

From the WSJ/Nomani article…

Ms. Jones…”I wanted to honor Aisha and all the wives of Muhammad by giving voice to them, remarkable women whose crucial roles in the shaping of Islam have so often been ignored — silenced — by historians.”

This sounds hyperbolic as to all the wives Mohammed “took” post death of wife #1, Khadija. Some of those “taken” 14 or so wives couldn’t have been all that pleased, e.g., perhaps the Jewess “captured” in battle.

Also from the WSJ article, said to be a quotation from the book…

The novel, for example, includes a scene on the night when Muhammad consummated his marriage with Aisha: “the pain of consummation soon melted away. Muhammad was so gentle. I hardly felt the scorpion’s sting. To be in his arms, skin to skin, was the bliss I had longed for all my life.”

Good lord ! Attributed to a 9-year old girl?! That sentence, anyway, reads like the genre known as “Bodice Buster”.

(For the record, I wouldn’t think Aisha would be all that thrilled to be in the arms of a 50 something hoary old man!)

However, bottom line in the so called “objections” is that infidels really aren’t allowed to write about Mohammed, even though he was “just” a mortal man.

Aug 12, 2008 - 9:17 am 22. tanstaafl:

…remarkable women whose crucial roles in the shaping of Islam have so often been ignored — silenced — by historians.

One of the theories as to how Mohammed died is that he was poisoned by one (or more) of his wives !

Naturally, today’s Islamists object strenuously to this “insult” to the memory of the Prophet.

History (such as it is) records that Mohammed died rather suddenly at about age 62 following an extremely high fever that came on rather suddenly.

Aug 12, 2008 - 10:36 am 23. Rubicon:

From attempts in Great Britain to use civil law to persecute authors for supposed libel, to a Canadian “Human Rights” tribunal hearing a case implying Muslims or specific Muslims were offended, to Random House backing out of a publishing arrangement, to the Dutchman killed for his views, to Salman Rushdies persecution & the death threats he faces, to so many more, the free world faces an effort to silence any who speak out of turn.
Even Al Gore wants the media to stop listening to any who might disagree with his Global Warming positions. “We are being too objective,” was his position. Apparently some think that if you silence any voice that proposes an opposing viewpoint, then all will come to accept “their” positions as true!
The book will be published. Lets face it, “Deep Throat” & “The Story of O” got published, so why not a fictional account of the life of a Muslim woman?
My concern is no one is mentioning that by writing their letter & proposing there could be a violent reaction, those writers subtly threatened the publishers.
“The publishers say they received ‘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.’”
Legally, the letter writers may not be responsible for anything. However, it certainly appears to me to be a veiled threat. And if the writers can send in one veiled threat, they can send in a multitude of them on a multitude of subjects.
When do publishers & newspaper editors, among others in the media, begin to realize that veiled threats are censorship? How many veiled threats can these guys issue before someone asks, “why are you sending threatening letters to people?” Perhaps a police investigation is in order & perhaps a long term follow up of the letter writers to see if we have a pattern!

Aug 12, 2008 - 10:48 am 24. Ephraim:

If the passage cited is any indication, the book sounds like cheap, lurid trash. That alone is reason not to publish it.

But that’s not the point: Random House publicly and specifically acknowledged that they decided not to publish it because they were afraid of Muslim violence. That alone is precisely the reason the book should, no, must, be published.

It is beyond pathetic that the author of the book should seek to defend herself by bleating that she was trying to be respectful. Don’t you get it? You’re a kuffar. You don’t have a right to say anything about Islam or its “prophet”. Even Muslims who are judged to have committed blasphemy against Islam are killed out of hand. Why should you, an infidel and a woman, no less, expect any kind of special treatment?

And that academic who tattled about how the book “might be” offensive to Muslims is an absolute disgrace. She should be shamed and pilloried until she begs for mercy and publicly apologizes. She’s nothing but a kapo, selling out her compatriots in order to curry favor with her masters. Disgusting.

Free speech means just that, free speech. If we no longer have the right to say offensive things, we do not have free speech. People need to grow a thicker skin. And anyone who threatens or commits violence because they are “offended” over something that has been said or written should be thrown in jail where they can’t cause trouble for civilized people.

Aug 12, 2008 - 11:05 am 25. Just Whose Country is it ? - Politics:

[...] Whose Country is it ? The US is heading dowm that slippery slope of muslim appeasement . Pajamas Media

Aug 12, 2008 - 11:09 am 26. david levavi:

…but I know for a fact that the history of literature and thought will be poorer for its absence…

How exactly does Andrew Klavan know this? Salmon Rushdie’s book was unreadable trash not worth cutting down trees for. What makes Klavan so sure Sherry Jones’s book is any better?

From everything I’ve heard Jones say about her sensitivity to Islamic sensibilities, I would suspect that her book can’t be very honest or very good.

I’m entirely confident that literature will be no poorer for non-publication of Jones’s book. Indeed, I suspect that many of those springing to her defense today–and properly so–will regret their enthusiasm when her book is inevitably published. And Ms. Jones may ultimately gain stature from this affair she may or may not deserve.

It is freedom of expression that is under assault by Islam, not literature. And that has to be dealt with forthrightly and pro-actively.

A good first step would be to see that Denise Spellberg pays a very dear price for her childish and vicious tattle. The regents of the University of Texas need to be bombarded with complaints. Ms. Spellberg is an anti-feminist, anti-democratic, fascists suck-up who should be tarred and feathered and ridden out of academia on a rail.

A healthy second step would be to limit access to American education to the children of ayatollahs, imams and other islamofascists. Thousands of budding Islamist scorpions are currently studying in the US. Their admission to American colleges and universities should hinge on their faithfully answering a set of unambiguous questions about their attitudes toward values we Americans hold dear. They either share our values or they can complete their education in Europe.

The city of Medina in the title of Ms. Jones’s book, incidentally, was a Jewish city at the time of Mohammed. The Jews of Medina were the wealthiest, most literate, learned and cultured people in Arabia. Their conquest and looting by the illiterate prophet of the Arabs is what made the Islamic expansion possible. Absent what he stole from the Jews of Medina, Mohammed’s name would be unknown.

Aug 12, 2008 - 11:11 am 27. tanstaafl:

I’ve been horrified at the “success” Islamist repressive tactics have had on western writing of anything to do with Islam.

British Muslims obtained a court ruling against Rachel Ehrenfeld’s book (Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It). Too much truth for those old boys.

Luckily, efforts to enforce the British judgment in the US were rejected by the state of New York.

Then there are the well known cases of the cartoons and the outright persecution of Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn.

(The big Islamic objection to The Satanic Verses, when Khomeini put out the stupid fatwa, had something to do with giving credence to female spirits or angels in the book. I agree it was, largely, unreadable.)

Bottom line, Islamism and freedom of speech are mutually exclusive.

Even the infamous Mohammed, I’m sure, wouldn’t be quite so narrow minded as the cadre of marginally intelligent fascists that purport to speak for him today.

Aug 12, 2008 - 11:38 am 28. pch1013:

Would this be the same Random House whose Crown imprint has published books by Ann Coulter, Robert Novak, Paul Craig Roberts, Brent Bozell, John Podhoretz,

Have fun with your boycott, but keep in mind you’ll be depriving yourselves of works by some of today’s finest conservative authors.

Aug 12, 2008 - 12:07 pm 29. Evil Republican:

Random House and the msm both have been censoring for decades. The publisher Regenery was founded so that conservatives could get their books published. The clueless author who sold her book out for a $100,000 should have known that the cowardly long pc paralyzed RH spews forth with little other than a steady stream of leftist slanted democrat party propaganda.
Fortunately for freedom of expression internet technology may send the leftist leaning information controllors of the giant publishing houses down the same road that the invention of the printing press pushed the medieval Roman Catholic Church’s scriptorium based censors and buggy whip manufacturers, long overdue extinction.

Aug 12, 2008 - 12:08 pm 30. DavidN:

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In an odd sort of way, the writer is wrong. This *is* a free speech issue, perversely. No one has the right to be published by Random House, but Random House has the right to publish anything it wishes. By ceding that right, fearing retaliation from Muslim extremists or for any other reason, Random House eroded everyone else’s rights just a teeny bit, because the extremists will take this as a sign they should go forward, and threaten others.

Aug 12, 2008 - 1:19 pm 31. Steynian 222 « Free Mark Steyn!:

[...] THE RANDOM HOUSE cave-in: Andrew Klavan nails it …. (5fof, [...]

Aug 12, 2008 - 2:29 pm 32. The Wizard:

I thought this was America….we have freedom of choice! If individuals do not like the content, they will not buy the book! Egad, what is this country coming to? What happened to our Bill of Rights? Randon House should be ashamed; that is manipulation and censorship. Not nice…

Aug 12, 2008 - 2:37 pm 33. pch1013:

“the cowardly long pc paralyzed RH spews forth with little other than a steady stream of leftist slanted democrat party propaganda”

Such as:

“Against Us: The New Face of America’s Enemies in the Muslim World” by Jim Sciutto

“War Crimes: The Left’s Campaign to Destroy Our Military and Lose the War on Terror” by Robert “Buzz” Patterson

“The Tyranny of Tolerance: A Sitting Judge Breaks the Code of Silence to Expose the Liberal Judicial Assault” by Robert H. Dierker, Jr.

“Shadow Warriors: The Untold Story of Traitors, Saboteurs, and the Party of Surrender” [i.e. the Democratic Party] by Kenneth Timmerman

etc.

All published by Random House. Clearly they’re not “afraid” to publish anti-liberal and anti-Muslim literature. Could it be that the reason they chose not to publish this book is that it simply isn’t very good?

Aug 12, 2008 - 3:16 pm 34. david levavi:

…Egad, what is this country coming to?…

Indeed. Why do we allow a German publishing giant to determine what may or may not be published in America?

Random House is merely an American imprint–a brand name with no real connection to Bennett Cerf, Alfred Knopf or Donald Klopfer.

Bertelsmann’s human resources policies may be unAmerican as well. According to some, age discrimination at Bertelsmann is SOP with older employees pushed out with no new hires past a certain age.

Aug 12, 2008 - 4:25 pm 35. Jude:

Run you cowards run. I choose to stand and fight. Where the hell are the John Wayne’s out there? Doesn’t any body have a set of stones to say NO to these people that are offended by the way the wind blows, give me a brake. I say if you don’t like it here leave and don’t give me a line of crap on your way out the door. Why???? Why????? are we Americans trembling in front of a bunch of savages that should be eliminated from the face of the earth? NO BALLS!

Aug 12, 2008 - 5:37 pm 36. Sean Delgado, Los Angeles:

Funny thing is, the excerpt printed in the WSJ article is the `love’ scene when Mohammad first makes `love’ to Aisha, describing how she longed for this `flesh on flesh’ moment her entire life.

All nine years of it! Aisha was nine years old when the thirty five year old prophet consummated his marriage to her. I have never heard or read before any accounts of nine year olds lustfully having sex with men of thirty five. Forget the Muslims, the author glamorizes and eroticizes very disturbing moment, which I personally find offensive and disgusting.

Aug 12, 2008 - 5:47 pm 37. njcommuter:

As far as freedom of speech vs. freedom to publish: If Random House holds onto the book under contract, it has effectively censored Ms. Jones; she cannot publish it. If the contract does not have a release provision, she should find a lawyer who will help her free the book (without ceding the advance; Random House changed its mind and should bear the burden) and then find a publisher with more backbone.

Aug 12, 2008 - 7:26 pm 38. funky chicken:

I’m with Ed Wallis and David Levavi and Sean Delgado. I applaud Random House’s decision to not release the book. Perhaps they used the “sensitivity to Muslims” excuse to get out of publishing a paen to pedophilia. Yuck.

Aug 12, 2008 - 10:38 pm 39. Carmen Campos Madonna Productions:

We’ll publish the book.

Aug 12, 2008 - 10:54 pm 40. Sherry Jones & The Jewel of Medina: Which Side Are You On? « Biodun Iginla’s Weblog:

[...] best known for his psychological suspense novels, wrote a scathing editorial for Pajamas Media yesterday, the day on which The Jewel of Medina was originally scheduled for publication. “It [...]

Aug 13, 2008 - 8:08 am 41. tanstaafl:

Aisha was nine years old when the thirty five year old prophet consummated his marriage to her.

Mohammed reportedly married Aisha in 622 AD. He died in 632 at the age of 62.

He didn’t have multiple wives until after the death of Khadija, to whom he was married for 25 years. Khadija was one of the first to believe in Mohammed’s specialness and also, she was his financial benefactress. She was age 40 when they married, Mohammed 25.

This puts Mohammed at about age 50 when Khadija died and, therefore, in his 50’s when his marriage to Aisha was “consummated”.

Any 9 YO girl would be thrilled.

Aisha did, reportedly, go on to promote Islam after Mohammed’s death.

Aug 13, 2008 - 11:41 am 42. JD:

There was a time when true “liberals” realized how precious the freedom of speech is. There was a saying: I hate what you’re saying, but will fight for your right to say it.

Now that the socialists have control of the media, they don’t seem to have those same ideals anymore. I knew our war with the commies wasn’t over. They now own most of the media and half of our political establishment.

Aug 13, 2008 - 12:59 pm 43. Johanna:

I understand that Denise Spellberg was behind this, who was sent a copy but did not like the book and contacted her “friend” Shahed Amanullah from altmuslim.org to warn of this book.

Aug 13, 2008 - 2:49 pm 44. Mike Boyce:

I find 30% of the books in a book store offensive, 30% ridiculous/foolish, 20% neutral and 20% to my taste. I am a white, conservative, Christian male police and military veteran. I don’t have the right to sue for discrimination even though I’m a member of the most hated group of people in modern day America. If we formed a “small” element of radicals the main stream media and federal law enforcement would be all over us in a nano-second and a book written by a Muslim supporting democrat about how terrible it was for the wife of one of our members would be on the bookstands before we were arraigned in court. Welcome once again to the poor, sad state of affairs we are currently in. Random House would rather fold than fight. Freedom of expression? Freedom of the press? Only if you think their way, not the correct way. Whatever happened to John Wayne, apple pie, God, guns and guts? Oh, wait, I know. Those guys and gals are currently deployed overseas fighting for the freedom of Random House to pull the plug on their own moxie. Tis a shame, ain’t it?

Aug 13, 2008 - 5:51 pm 45. RuleTopia:

This problem started with George Bush calling Islam a “religion of peace” and characterizing our struggle as a “war on terror.” Islam is specifically violent. And we’re not struggling against generic terrorism, a tactic, but against a fascist ideology. Nor is the struggle against a “radical fringe.” It’s a struggle against hundreds of millions of people who are willing to die and who have vast amounts of oil wealth and resentment toward the west, in equal measure.

Kudos to Andrew Klavan.

Aug 14, 2008 - 12:10 am 46. cosmos:

Ah yes, paradigms…fear.. the underlying inhibitor…better to smooth over things…not create waves that will cause erruptions…
From the top down these permeate society…and in one way help with order…but also in this case inhibit freedoms..speech and publications.. yes, Random House are cowards…but as everyone knows the publication would bring out the very best in all the crazies…lots of erruptions..all over North America and Europe…likely some deaths and lots of expense to protect property and people….But we should do it anyway…We should do it now…because in time, a very short time…it really will be too late…
We are gutless. We buckle. We give in to these Mafiosa boys but perhaps it’s an insult to refer to them as criminals and gansters….it’s an insult to the Mafia..and the low lifes..and the drug dealers and the child molesters and pedophiles and the serial killers …who are all much higher on the genetic tree of life than the lamists.
Does all the A-rab money in Texas and the funding of researchers and the professor who nixed the publication have anything to do with it? Does Random House publish all the Wahabbi text books that call for death of kafir and jews and call them dogs and pigs…you know which ones I mean…the ones that are used in all the islamic schools all over north american and europe…the ones that get funded by the A-rab…islamists and only in Canada…they get all sorts of tax free stuff as well as government grants of all sorts.

Aug 15, 2008 - 3:31 pm 47. John Matthews:

As a fellow author (UK: Past Imperfect and Ascension Day), I strongly endorse Andrew Klavan’s views here. Indeed, the point he raises with Dan Brown’s DVC (and there’s been many others in similar vein) raises an interesting legal issue, and it might be that Ms Jones has strong legal grounds here - under ‘unequal and uneven’ judgement being applied by Random House in its decision.

Yes, Random House have a right to protect their interests on various grounds - but they should also be seen (in law) to apply that judgement evenly across the field.

They did not do so with Rushdie or indeed with Dan Brown and a score of others. There’s also been many, many books about the Mafia or corrupt police depts or politicians.

Does that now mean that if said groups started threatening violence, Random House would do the same and cave in on publishing?

Surely not. And if they did do so, does that then mean that publishing from hereon in - what is and isn’t published - is decreed by the level of violence and threat that the parties spotlighted decide to levy.

If so, then it becomes a ridiculous state of affairs. No Sopranos because a local New Jersey Mafia boss feels they’re being depicted badly. No criticisms of Christianity or Scientology because of the same?

It’s never-ending, and the losers are both publishing and freedom of speech.

Aug 16, 2008 - 2:54 am 48. james:

As a Christian from the middle east living in the United Sate I would say enough is enough it seems that no mater how far we run away from the barbaric act of the Muslim it always follow us it is time to stand for our rights as humans and as Americans to enforce the freedom of speech and religion to all man kind and not let what we have believed in for many generations go away just because some body might be offended by the truth I have read a lot of the Muslim history and wrote my on memoirs and sure would like to read what Sherry Jones had to right.

Aug 18, 2008 - 7:47 pm 49. TIMELY-AS IF TO UNDERLINE EUROPE’S WEAKNESS- MUSLIMS OFFENDED– AGAIN!! « Centurean2’s Weblog:

[...] A quote from Andrew Klavan at PajamasMedia, 12 August 2008 [...]

Aug 19, 2008 - 4:25 am 50. deema:

This is enough! Your all talking about suth that you didnt even read. Talking about smb that you know nothing about. What I know about the west or the USA, is the educated people who knows all about everything BUT as always you just prove that your nothing and you use anything to prove to be the best.

If Muslims are violent then look at what your doing in Iraq look at what your soldiers are doing in Abudgraib. Look at what your support doing in Palestinian. Your always afraid of terror though your the one who z terrorist.

Mohammad and Aisha died from a very long time and they cant even rest coz once you create the silly cartons and now this book. Cant you even respect dead people? Yes you cant coz you even dont respect yourselves.

Why didn’t you read that the publisher also said that the novel is ( Spellberg also stated that the novel is a “very ugly, stupid piece of work” and added that “I don’t have a problem with historical fiction. I do have a problem with the deliberate misinterpretation of history. You can’t play with a sacred history and turn it into soft core pornography.”[1] Spellberg later stated that “Jones’ book only works by taking advantage of people’s ignorance” and that “Jones’ book is a mere burlesque)

I’ll tell you why, because you enjoy using anything to attack Islam, here in canceling this novel Muslims didn’t even object… but you do blame them.

If the publisher saw its a trash then he wont spend his money on a junk

Enjoy your lies about being the best world and people of love and peace.

Aug 19, 2008 - 7:41 am 51. Bonnie_:

The problem is not Random House. They are not warriors; these editors don’t carry guns and have bodyguards. Once you are threatened, and your family is threatened, by a force larger than an individual, you have to look to your society to solve the problem.

Our culture and our society has refused to address the barbarity of Islam. As long as we tolerate this cult in our country (I will not call it a religion) and allow people to practice it openly, you can’t blame these people for doing what they can to defend their families.

The scandal is not Random House standing up to Islam. It’s the West not standing up to Islam.

Aug 19, 2008 - 2:54 pm 52. Snaphanen » Stockholmspolitiet: “Forbered dig på at blive røvet”:

[...] Krysterne på Random House It doesn’t matter a damn what the Koran says or whether the novel is offensive to Muslims or not. The very need for such apologias and the very fear felt by Random House condemn the violent principles of the gangsters they’re appeasing. No one defended Dan Brown’s massive bestseller The Da Vinci Code by saying, “Oh, Dan was trying to build bridges to the Christian community.” The Da Vinci Code spends its nearly five hundred pages trashing the central beliefs of the Christian community. But for all the hysteria in intellectual circles over fundamentalist Christians, no one had to cower before them or make mealy-mouthed excuses.  The Jewel of Medina and the Cowardly Surrender of Random House [...]

Aug 19, 2008 - 9:22 pm 53. Steve:

deema:

Your right enough is enough. I’ve had it with Muslims acting like savages then whining about being mistreated. If you don’t like the West then go back to the 7th century that you guys find so wonderful and you can take the self hating fools who coddle and defend you.

Aug 20, 2008 - 4:24 am 54. kate b:

Censor this then (the entire Qur’an and ahadith)

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/searchquran.html

Who needs a fiction book when the facts are there for all to see, in black and white: the history and global, daily events by this “peaceful” religion speak for themselves. Wake up moderate Muslims! this IS your religion.

Aug 20, 2008 - 10:18 am 55. Jim:

What happened to the freedom of speech?

Is Pedophelia condoned by Random house, after all Mohammad married a child below the age of ten and he is called holy!!!! This is a man who had several wifes / trophies of war. A man that murdered many and continues to influence the murder of millions throughout the Mellenia.

The Truth must be out and no one should stop this kind of information from coming out.

The light is there for those who chose to open their eyes.

Aug 20, 2008 - 11:26 am 56. RambleRant » Post Topic » the dhimmis at Random House publishing:

[...] A friend of mine emailed me this article by Andrew Klavan… The Jewel of Medina anf the cowardly surrender of Random House [...]

Aug 21, 2008 - 10:55 am 57. John Harrison:

No big deal. Check out: Leila Ahmed: “Women & Gender in Islam”, well, many years hence.
Ahmed, herself a Moslem, is shocked, and states this.

John.

Aug 24, 2008 - 10:52 am 58. Stacy:

Awesome article! I first heard about this from Rabbi Moshe Laurie’s teaching on Spiritual Warfare (TCT) program.
What a disgrace…..I declare that we all send emails/letters of protest to Random House. I completly agree with you using the Davinci Code as an example. And TRUE THAT to what another comment said about how the muslims will silence every infidel one at a time….that is their life mission-kill kill kill—-They are slowly infiltrating OUR country and trying to take over OUR rights! WAKE UP AMERICA!!! Evil reigns when good people stand by and do nothing! MUSLIMS should go back to their own little corner of the world if they don’t want to play by American rules! AMERICA-LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT-we were built upon CHRISTIANITY!!!

Aug 25, 2008 - 4:09 pm 59. Alee Bhangar:

THE NAME MUHAMMAD IS MORE IMPORTANT TO US THEN OUR LIVES.

WE TRY TO LIVE OUR LIFE ACCORDING TO OUR LAST PROPHET MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H)

MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H) NEVER ASKED US TO KILL NEITHER DO ANY OTHER RELIGION TEACHES THAT PRACTISE.

WE ARE FOLLOWERS OF MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H) AND PRAY WE BE BEHIND HIS LINE ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT. MUSLIMS LOVE MUHAMMAD AND ALLAH ON EXTREME. THAT DOESN’T MAKE US SAINT BUT THAT MAKES US MUSLIM.

THE POINT I AM TRYING TO MAKE IS WE ARE VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT OUR PROPHET AND CAN NOT LET ANYONE TALK ANYTHING THEY WANT TO.

ANY MUSLIM WHO BELIEVES IN ALLAH AND HIS LAST PROPHET WHETHER WHITE BLACK RICH POOR SAINT CRIMNAL, UN-EDUCATED OR EDUCATED WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TOLERATE ANY NONSENSE.

HE/SHE WILL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP THE RESPECT OF THE NAME WHO HAVE SHOWN US RIGHT PATH IN THIS LIFE AND PROMISED TO HELP AFTER LIFE.

PPL WHO KILL INNOCENTS DOESN’T BELONG TO ANY RELIGION. BUT PEOPLE WHO CRITICISE OTHER RELIGION DOESN’T HAVE HUMANITY N DOESN’T KNOW THE CODE TO LIVE ON THIS PLANET.

AS LONG AS AMERICA IS CONCERNED. AMERICA IS A COUNTRY OF IMMIGRANTS, DONT ASK PPL TO LEAVE.., SOONER OR LATER THEY ALL GONNA LEAVE BY THEMSELVE COZ OF GROWING HATE AS I CAN SEE ABOVE.

N THEN U WILL BE VISITING YOUR COUSINS ALL OVER THE WORLD JUST LIKE YOUR UP COMING PRESIDENT OF U.S.A - UNITED YOU STAND-REMEMBER- .

TODAY THE WORLD HAS MORE THEN 9/11 INNOCENT CASUALTIES IN REACTION OF 9/11

POWER COMES WITH GREAT RESPONSIBILTY THATS WAT THEY TEACH U IN MOVIES.

U HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD EVERYBODY IN THIS WORLD DOESN’T SPEAK ENGLISH.

PEACE.

Aug 29, 2008 - 3:07 am 60. Stacy:

To Alee Bhanger- Don’t pull the wool over my eyes-I see thru you and all muslims-I do NOT hate you as a person because my LORD JESUS CHRIST teaches love our enemies and pray for them. Sholom to you.
You lied in your post above. Let me quote your beloved book: “The infidels are your sworn enemies-Sura 9:123″ “Make war on the infidels who dwell around you-Sura 47:4″ “Mohammed is Allah’s apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the infidels-Sura 48:29″ “Believers, take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends.-sura 5:51″ “Prophet, make war on the infidels-sura 66:9″ “Kill the disbelievers wherever we find them-sura2:191″ shall I go on? Sura 5:33, 9:29, 47:4
SO-ALEE DO YOU YOURSELF DENOUNCE ALL OF THIS? IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND FOLLOW?

Aug 30, 2008 - 7:04 am 61. said:

a fake novel of fake facts we respect all prophets and messengers of THE MOST GRACIOUS and EVERMERCIFUL ALLAH THE ALMITGHY

Sep 12, 2008 - 7:16 am 62. oniyangi:

This issue has been overflogged already. I read a lot of emotional outbursts pretending to be rational about issues that are really not irrational but supra-rational. Muslims understand very well the potent power of intentions. the ostensible purpose of the author is to illuminate a dark area of history. History at least pretends to being factual in the main. how can you rewrite or even explain history with fiction? Can this author even answer questions about Islam with verifiable facts. Muslims do not ask for preferential treatment from anyone; this whole argument and anger proves that we can defend what we believe to be our sacred territory. what is known about Islam is not known by happenstance or propaganda but by the same freedom of speech that you people cherish so much. Not even the American constitution which you vainly try to elevate to the level of a scripture condones unbridled freedom of either speech or anything else. but this does not belie the true status of the American constitution as an heroic attempt to balance freedom with responsibility. Americans and “freedom” lovers the world over have the freedom to live and die for what they believe in; that freedom is granted to the Muslim also, but not by the American constitution but by Almighty Allah. why is that so hard for some people to understand?

Sep 22, 2008 - 1:30 pm 63. Dane Dahl:

The WHY? of Terrorism in Islam

Dear Reader
I am an American living in Asia. I am not Moslem, but I am a writer and historian. I would like to share some information with you: information concerning Moslem terrorism. It may help you understand what is going on in the Middle East, as well as significant parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and even the United States. This is important because Moslem terrorism has already struck the United States; it will do so again; next time you and your loved ones could be caught up in the violence.

Disregarding the social and economic factors that serve as underpinnings for Islamic terrorism, I will address the more fundamental issue: the religious teachings that sanction violence against non-Moslems… And against women! Here are five verses from the Koran. These scriptures have been translated into modern English.

…murder, crucify, or cut off the hands and feet of non-Moslems…Chapter 5 Verse 33 - The Koran
…create terror in the hearts of non-Moslems …cut off their heads…Chapter 8 Verse 12 - The Koran
…and fight non-Moslems until Allah’s religion is the only one…Chapter 8 Verse 39 - The Koran
…of all the loot you plunder from non-Moslems, 20% belongs to Allah and to Mohammed. Chapter 8 Verse 41- The Koran (Author’s note: Loot included kidnapped female sex-slaves.)
…When it comes to marriage, Allah makes it legal for you to take as wives, women whom your right hand possesses. Chapter 33 Verse 50 - The Koran (Author’s note: This verse talks about the “loot” non-Moslems call… kidnapped female sex-slaves.)

Most people in the western world have never heard of these astonishing scriptures, but they are in the Koran … along with a relatively short list of others, just like them. This is important because not all Moslems are the same; there are two very different types. Militant Moslems view these verses as commandments from God. They think they apply to life in the Twenty-first Century and they try to use them, regardless of the suffering and mayhem they create, whereas moderate Moslems ignore such verses because they were uttered a long time ago: when the Arabian peninsula, from whence Islam came, was a very primitive place.

Historians tell us these terrorist teachings are part of a cluster of ferocious beliefs that were deliberately added to one specific part of the formerly peaceful and tolerant Koran. These changes were done years after the faith was first organized. In fact, historians also tell us Islam didn’t simply fall from the sky as a full-blown religion, but rather evolved from a persecuted sect of Jewish-Christians. The first Moslems were actually part of a larger group of Jesus’ followers called the Ebionites.

Ebionites were peace-loving disciples of Christ, who shared their wealth with fellow believers, and taught that a man should marry only one wife. In fact, women were much more independent in the Ebionite-days of Islam. They were more influential too. I say this because my research has determined that the first prophet of Islam may have been a woman: a very special woman named Khadija the Pure. Khadija was Mohammed’s first and only wife for twenty-four years. She was fifteen years older than Mohammed and Khadija was an influential Arabian princess who was extremely wealthy. Even though Khadija was part of the royal family that controlled worship in the Kabba Temple, with its 300+ pagan gods and goddesses, she became an Ebionite Christian.

After Khadija’s death, Islam was hijacked by a cartel of corrupt men. New beliefs were added, old beliefs were deleted or relegated to unimportance, and the religion was changed beyond recognition. In the end, Islam abandoned many of its Christian teachings and turned cruel and predatory; women suffered the most: they became the focus of repression, scorn, and violence.

Today, although educated Moslems are reluctant to admit these facts, and many of them are terrified to voice criticism of their militant Islamic brothers, because of fear that violence will come to them and their families, the fact remains that these added teachings are not the original beliefs of Islam; they are amendments: They are the terrorist teachings of Islam.

In the near future, militant Moslems hope to unleash a series of unimaginable calamities upon the United States and the rest of the world. Because the terrorist teachings of Islam sanction deception, treaty breaking, and war, as well as looting, murder, kidnapping, terrorism, and human slavery (including sexual slavery), so long as these crimes are directed against non-Moslems, there is no limit to the things these fanatics can do. But the scariest part: Militant Moslems will do everything… in the name of God (Allah). If they die while committing these crimes against humanity, they believe Allah will bless them and give them seventy virgin brides as an eternal reward for their brutality.

Are you are interested in learning more about the Seventy Virgins of Islam, or militant Moslem terrorism and its involvement in modern human slavery? Visit The Moslem Institute website: http://www.TheMoslemInstitute.com

The Moslem Institute website is published as a free service by
Dane Dahl, historian and author of The Pox of Mohammed.
This missive is being sent to you for informational purposes only. Any replies can be directed to the following email address: historian@themosleminstitute.com, or to the following mail drop in the United States: Dane Dahl, P.O. Box 190 #04073, Jefferson, OR 97352.
All the best,
Dane Dahl
Please forward this message to a friend.

Oct 5, 2008 - 9:13 pm 64. Aisha, the Jewel of Medina (Or, Yet Another Free Speech Controversy) - Mideast Youth - Thinking Ahead:

[...] as we know it!” And then scorn and scathing is cast on the reluctance of newspapers, the cowardice of publishing houses, and the whole dithering wide world which won’t step up to confront the [...]

Oct 21, 2008 - 10:16 pm 65. Larsen E Whipsnade:

34. david levavi:
“…Egad, what is this country coming to?…”

David levavi, you’re correct. This story illustrates the day-to-day standards of a German publishing operation. Random House is a German publisher, not American. This is to be expected.

Feb 21, 2009 - 8:58 am 66. Kevin M:

Maybe we should first consider the book’s literary merits…NONE!

Everybody wants to hyperventilate over censorship and Islamic intimidation. What about the fact that Sherry Jones is an unrepentant hack, deliberately courting controversy and scandal, since her book hasn’t a molecule of storytelling merit?!

If the subject of this book were written out of whole cloth and Mohamed made no appearance in the story, it would have never been considered for publication.

It’s garbage. Meritless, merciless garbage and all this yapping over fear of Muslim backlash is burying that fact.

Feb 26, 2009 - 8:06 am

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