(Nashville, Tenn.) Nonie Darwish was a virtual slave to Islamic law for the first thirty years of her life. Raised as a Muslim in the Gaza strip, she never questioned or challenged radical Islamic law – she never dared. “This is Allah’s Law,” she was told, and she knew what awaited those who questioned it.

In her latest book, Cruel and Usual Punishment (Thomas Nelson) Darwish continues her personal mission to warn the West, exposing efforts to force and enforce Sharia law on unsuspecting nations around the globe.

What is Sharia? “Its laws are based on the Qur’an and hadiths (reports of Muhammad’s words and actions outside of the Qur’an) as well as centuries of debate and interpretation,” says Darwish. “Sharia subscribes to punishments such as stoning, flogging, and amputation of limbs – cruel and unusual by any human standards.”

The threat is here now. Throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, young Muslim women are targeted for violence, often by their own relatives. So-called “honor killings,” whereby a Muslim male family member, typically the father, murders his daughter in order to defend the family’s honor, is a growing problem.

Cruel and Usual Punishment details how many Muslim’s sacrifice their humanity, their rights, and even their lives in the service of archaic and brutal laws handed down from their prophet centuries ago. No one can afford to be ignorant. “It is very important that we separate the law of Islam from the religion of Islam,” writes Darwish. A religion doesn’t discriminate and torture and violate your rights.”

Nonie Darwish is an author and lecturer and a former journalist, interpreter, and editor in the Middle East News Agency. She holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the American University in Cairo. She founded www.ArabsForIsrael.com to promote understanding and peace between Israel and the Arab world. Nonie was born and raised as a Muslim in Cairo, Egypt and the Gaza strip. Her father headed the Egyptian military intelligence in Gaza and the Sinai in the 50’s when Gaza was under Egyptian control. He was assassinated in 1956 when Nonie was 8 years old.

She has been speaking extensively on college campuses across the US and Canada and lectured internationally in several European countries, Israel and South Africa. She spoke before members of the British House of Lords and appeared on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, NPR, Al Arabiya TV, and other major media outlets.  She is married and the mother of 3.

Nonie Darwish is available for interviews.

Contact:    Curt Harding
Senior Publicist
(615) 902-2246
charding@thomasnelson.com

(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today that Jason Jones will be joining the Non-Fiction Trade Book Group as the Publicist for General Interest and Lifestyle. Jason will be responsible for developing the overall publicity strategy for all general interest and lifestyle titles including media relations, event planning, author relations, and creative writing.

“The General Interest and Lifestyle category is a strong growth opportunity for Thomas Nelson. We believe we can produce great books on general topics from a Christian worldview,” said Larry Carpenter, Vice President of Marketing for the Thomas Nelson Non-Fiction Trade Group. “We are thrilled to have Jason join us and publicize these books to the trade media and consumers.”

Jason Jones has ten years of public relations experience, most recently serving as the Director of Public Relations at Sossaman + Associates in Memphis, Tennessee. Prior to his work at Sossaman, Jones spent six years leading the publicity and media relation’s efforts for the Memphis Redbirds, a Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. In that post, he was an integral part of the construction of the $80 million AutoZone Park and its major-league caliber press facilities and staff.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Thomas Nelson team. It is wonderful to work somewhere with great people, and an even greater mission,” Jones said. “Thomas Nelson inspires, energizes, convicts, and uplifts people with its products. People need inspiration and beauty in their lives today more than ever. They need to be spoken to. And, that speaks to me.”

A native of Memphis, Jones graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin. He and his wife, Tracey, have been married for 5 years and have two children, Jack (4) and Charlie (10 months). An avid outdoorsman, Jones loves camping, fishing, reading, golf, basketball, family and the Lord.

Contact:
Lindsey Nobles
Director of Corporate Communications
tel: (615) 902-1109
fax: (615) 902-1110
web: www.thomasnelson.com
e-mail: lnobles@thomasnelson.com