Book based on Muhammad's child bride not to be published

New York, Aug.20 : A racy, historical novel based on the Prophet Muhammad's child bride A'isha has been pulled out of the publishing line just before its release date.

Sherry Jones, author of The Jewel of Medina, said she received word from Random House Inc. that the book's release would be "postponed indefinitely."

The decision came after copies of her book were sent to stores, her book tour was scheduled and the Book of the Month Club had accepted her work, reports Fox News.

"My book is a respectful portrayal of Islam, of A'isha, of Muhammad. And anyone who reads it with [an] open mind will come away with an understanding of Islam as a peaceful religion," said the American author.

In a statement to Fox News, Random House said that although it supports a free discussion of ideas, it decided to stop the book from hitting the shelves due to security concerns.

"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," the release stated.

Jones said Random House will pay her a 100,000 dollars advance, and that it will allow her to seek another publisher for the book.

ANI