Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, who has made waves for denouncing Islam in her books, is to face trial for allegedly insulting the Muslim faith in her latest work, a court in northern Italy ruled yesterday. A judge refused a request by prosecutors to have the case, brought by the president of the Muslim Union of Italy, Adel Smith, thrown out, ordering magistrates to proceed in the matter.They now have until Thursday to formally charge Fallaci, the author of "Rage and Pride," a post-Sept. 11 polemic over the dangers of extremism, with "insulting religion." The accusations stem from her last book called "La forza della ragione," which translates as The Force of Reason. Smith holds the book — not yet available in English — contains "words that are without doubt offensive toward Islam."