A Book Too Hot Off The Presses

After the 9/11 attacks, a newspaper reporter in Montana became intrigued with the history of Islam and set out to write a book about Mohammed and his wives. During the course of her research, she became convinced that the Prophet “supported more rights for women than do many of his modern followers,” writes Michelle Boorstein for the Washington Post. The book, “The Jewel of Medina, is a fictionalized account of young wife Aisha: The couple married in the 7th century, when he was about 53 and the girl was about 8 years of age. A University of Texas professor raised alarms, calling the book “provocative.” Writing about historical figures in literary and popular ways allows debate and truth to emerge. The controversy raises a troubling concern: Calls by Islamic scholars to cancel a work of fiction amid worries based on Muslim anger, not historical inaccuracies, calls the integrity and courage of their own research into question. Meanwhile, censorship attempts will probably boost sales as author Sherry Jones can sell her book to another publisher and other books on the topic are due. Until then, readers are left to wonder about the real story behind “The Jewel of Medina.” – YaleGlobal