Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and himself an author of several non-fiction books on Islam. He read The Jewel of Medina
An excerpt from Mr. Spencer’s review:
The Jewel of Medina became a cause célèbre when Random House dropped it in August 2008 just before publication, citing fear of threats from Muslims—threats, it bears noting, that had not yet materialized. Subsequently, three Muslims were arrested in London for firebombing the offices of the book’s new British publisher, Gibson Square, which also then dropped the book.[2] It has now been published in the United States by Beaufort Books, which, in a press release, said that it “knows how to look for trouble.”
But whoever reads The Jewel of Medina, after suffering through stilted Hollywood historical epic dialogue larded with Arabic tidbits for authenticity’s sake, will wonder what the fuss was all about. True to her word, Jones offers a portrait of Muhammad that is so flattering as to be worthy of British religion writer Karen Armstrong, who compared Muhammad to Gandhi.[3]
(Links for footnotes omitted in the excerpt.)
With Mr. Spencer’s other readers, you might ask what the fuss was all about.
Likely, fervent Muslims will object to the author’s characterization of the relationship of Aisha with Safwan ibn al-Muattal. Aisha, the title character, was the favorite wife and child bride of Muhammed. Safwan ibn al-Muattal was a rival tribal leader and fought against the Muslims in three famous battles. Jones writes Aisha as madly in love with Safwan and tempted to adultery after her marriage to Muhammed.
Not acceptable to those who revere her as “Mother of the Believers” although nowhere on the same continent as, say, depicting Jesus married to Mary Magdelene and the Catholic Church as a conspiracy to hush the whole thing up.
Mr. Spencer’s review provides footnoted sources for his assertions of inaccuracy. His determined conscientiousness is grimly amusing. Those who find footnotes valuable are unlikely to read the book. Those likely to read the book at best ignore footnotes.
The book is currently ranked #3748 in the general books category at Amazon. Apparently people like sugary and inaccurate historical romances set in exotic locales.
Let’s hope that readers of The Jewel of Medina do not feel better informed about Aisha, Muhammed, Safwan and Islam when they have finished the novel.
Tags: aisha, Books, Islam, muhammed, robert spencer
