The decision was made because of an unspoken UN rule not to be seen to be criticising nations or religions, according to Joke van Kempen of the World Population Foundation (WPF).

Salman Rushdie: no stranger to controversy

Salman Rushdie contributed a letter to a new-born baby for the UN-sponsored book, "A Letter to Six Billion People".

In it he discusses the possibility of large-scale religious wars in the near future, according to Dutch publisher Podium.

"Rushdie says such wars are unlikely because in certain religions - he gives the example of Islam in Iran and Iraq - there are too many strong differences and contradictions," said Podium director Joost Nijsen.

UN taking no risks

"It's a harmless statement, but it seems the UN cannot take any risk in this kind of thing."

Kofi Annan wrote a preface for the book, which will now be published without it.

The Satanic Verses outraged many Muslims

"We decided to publish the book with the letter from Rushdie and without the preface by Kofi Annan. It's a good book. It stands on its own," said Mr Nijsen.

Iran's revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had issued a fatwah, a religious opinion, in 1989 on Rusdhie, accusing him of blasphemy in his book The Satanic Verses and calling on Muslims to kill him.

The new book is a collection of letters from 14 authors, including Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galenao, Chilean author Ariel Dorfman and South African journalist and poet Antjie Krog.