Mel Gibson has made a movie of Jesus Christ's last hours and has gotten some heat. I don't think he fears for his life though:

A Canadian Muslim who tomorrow releases a book critical of her religion is drawing ''a very high level of awareness'' from police because of a feared backlash from fundamentalists.

Irshad Manji said she has taken every step possible to ensure her safety, including forwarding critical e-mails and letters to the authorities.

The Toronto journalist said she is not sure how The Trouble with Islam, which urges Muslims to purge Islam of fundamentalism, will be received. ''At this point it's all about being prepared rather than paranoid,'' she said in an interview this weekend.

Today's National Post carries an exclusive excerpt of the book one day ahead of its release.

Ms. Manji said her book denounces terrorism, the poor treatment of women and ''Jew-bashing'' while promoting tolerance and human rights. In it, she urges an Islamic reformation that begins in the West.

''I didn't write this book to be deliberately inflammatory,'' said Ms. Manji, a self-described activist, leftist, Muslim and feminist.

''It's about the things that were troubling to me as a kid and the things that are troubling young Muslims today.''

It is clear from the book's Web site, www.muslim-refusenik.com, that the book's messages have struck a nerve.

The fatwa should be issued by Friday.