JK Rowling was denied the US's highest civilian honour because members of the Bush administration believed Harry Potter "encouraged witchcraft", a new book claims.

Matt Latimer, a former speech writer for George W Bush, states in Speechless: Tales Of A White House Survivor that White House officials objected to the author's perceived promotion of sorcery in the series.

As a result her name was not included amongst those receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it is alleged.

The award acknowledges contributions to US national interest, world peace or cultural endeavours.

In one of his last acts as head of state, Mr Bush gave the medal to former British prime minister Tony Blair. President Barack Obama recently bestowed the honour on physicist Stephen Hawking, amongst others.

But according to Mr Latimer's new book, plans for Rowling to receive the Medal of Freedom were nipped in the bud by officials in the previous administration.

He claims that the White House politicised the honour under the Bush regime.

In Speechless, Latimer writes that "narrow thinking" led "people in the White House to actually object to giving the author JK Rowling a presidential medal because the Harry Potter books encourage witchcraft".

JK Rowling's alleged exclusion is not the first example of her writing coming into conflict with the American right.

In 2007, Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly hit out at the author for announcing that Harry Potter character Dumbledore was gay. He called her a "provocateur" adding that the outing of Dumbledore was part of a liberal "indoctrination" of children.

It would seem the Burning Times are never far away in the minds of some.

Blessings Ron.

The American Christian right is scary!

America itself is scary.
My brother married a lovely texan girl but I did not go to the wedding for a few reasons, it was rather far for me with my illness and because it was held in her hometown, smack in the middle of the bible belt.

Yikes!