JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia summoned the Czech ambassador to protest against a new translation of Salman Rushdie’s blasphemous book “Satanic Verses,” the SPA said on Friday, 27 years after the sacrilegious novel triggered global demonstrations and a death threat against the author.

The Kingdom told the ambassador the book insulted both Islam and Muslims and asked him to try and halt publication, the SPA agency added, citing a source in the Saudi foreign ministry.

There was no immediate comment from the Czech government, or from literary publisher Paseka which issued the edition in April. The translator used a pseudonym.

Rushdie’s novel, first published in Britain in 1988, caused outrage among Muslims.

His outrageous work led to a fatwa against him that called on Muslims to kill the British author. Following it, Rushdie has been living in hiding for nine years.

Iran has threatened to boycott next week’s Frankfurt book fair because Rushdie has been booked to give the opening address, a spokeswoman for the world’s largest literary trade event said on Friday.

The first Czech version of Rushdie’s outrageous book was published in 1994.