Oregon Public Broadcasting

A Northwest author says she’s “shocked and stunned” to hear that her British publisher’s home was firebombed over the weekend. 

Spokane resident Sherry Jones' novel about the Muslim prophet Muhammad and his child bride has drawn vocal criticism. But this is the first case of violence. Correspondent Doug Nadvornick reports.

London authorities have arrested three men. They say the men threw the gasoline bomb that started the fire at Martin Rynja’s townhouse.

Rynja owns Gibson Square, the company that plans to publish Sherry Jones’ novel “The Jewel of Medina” next month.  Rynja was not home at the time and no one was hurt.

Jones’ novel focuses on the relationship between Muhammad and his young bride Aisha.  

Controversy over the book started when University of Texas Middle Eastern Studies professor Denise Spellberg called parts of it pornographic. The original publisher, Random House, dropped plans to distribute the book.

Jones says she’s amazed that people who have never read it are so upset. She has e-mailed Spellberg, asking her to  take back the word pornographic.

Sherry Jones: “She possibly could make a difference in the way my book is perceived by people who haven’t read it.”

Sherry Jones says she believes the London bombing was an isolated incident.