Muslim group demands Hamline University reinstate professor fired for showing image of Muhammad

[sarisataka]

Muslim group demands Hamline University reinstate professor fired for showing image of Muhammad

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) is demanding the reinstatement of an adjunct professor fired for displaying an image of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in class.

Erika López Prater, an adjunct art history professor at Minnesota's Hamline University, was fired after a student complained about images of Muhammad in her course.

"It is with great concern that the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) views the firing of an art professor, Erika López Prater, from Hamline University on the grounds of showing a fourteenth-century painting depicting the Prophet Muḥammad," an official statement from MPAC read. "We issue this statement of support for the professor and urge the university to reverse its decision and to take compensatory action to ameliorate the situation."

Hamline University President Fayneese Miller penned a letter to students last month apologizing for the incident, arguing that not offending the school's Muslim students was more important than academic freedom.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/muslim-group-demands-hamline-university-reinstate-professor-fired-showing-image-muhammad

The professor's firing was reported earlier this week
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217542313

[Just A Box Of Rain]

1. Kudos to the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

[Aristus]

2. That's wonderful.

Islam prohibits images of the Prophet Muhammed. But it is encouraging to see Muslims standing up for free speech and education even when it contravenes their beliefs. Be nice to see the Talibangelicals do the same thing.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. .

Islam prohibits images of the Prophet Muhammed.

The Quran does not prohibit it. There's a range of beliefs.

[Aristus]

6. Thanks. I guess that means it's either Hadith or just folklore.

n/t

[Just A Box Of Rain]

10. Hadith (with different hadiths accepted by different branches of Islam) and a generalized injunction

against idolatry in the Qur'an.

As many of the hadith proscribing living creatures came from stories attributed to Aisha (the wife of Muhammad who the Shia regard as an arch enemy due the succession struggle following Muhammad's death between the victorious Umar, who she supported, and Ali, whose supporters are "the partisans of Ali" or "Shiites" in Arabic).

Painting of Ali hang on walls are not uncommon among devoted Shia.

This particular painting came out of the Persian miniature tradition, in an area where Ja'fari jurisprudence held sway. Not "haram" in Shia Islam.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

5. +1 this teacher did everything 'right' from everything I've read

May I also add that personally, I think the firing was a f***ing joke, very weak sauce from the administrators at the school.

Way past sick of higher-learning institutions having to kowtow to some people's random beliefs in supernatural mumbo-jumbo, as if it's somehow 'special' because there's a 'religion' based around it. F*** all that, seriously.

MHO, fwiw.

[DBoon]

3. Freedom of expression protects minority viewpoints

Preventing this artwork from being shown opens the door to intolerant Christians blocking expressions of any other faith on campus

[Dr. Strange]

7. Leave it to Fox news to spread the Islamaphobic ramblings of this organization called...

The Muslim Public Affairs Council.

Wait.

[EX500rider]

12. Islamaphobic ?

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) is a national American Muslim advocacy and public policy organization headquartered in Los Angeles and with offices in Washington, D.C. MPAC was founded in 1988.

According to the organization’s website, MPAC seeks to correct misperceptions and improve public understanding and policies that affect American Muslims by engaging directly with key members of the government, media and local communities.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) was founded in 1988 at the Islamic Center of Southern California."[6]

In its history, it has condemned the death fatwa against Salman Rushdie and the attacks on the World Trade Center, and denounced the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Public_Affairs_Council

[maxsolomon]

14. It was a joke.

about 99% sure.

[Sympthsical]

8. This is positive

Good for them.

[treestar]

9. Good to hear

not every muslim is extreme.

[maxsolomon]

11. Why you gotta link to F*x?

Come on!

[sarisataka]

13. At the moment

Very few sources are reporting this. They are the least objectionable.

A local link took me to the main article, which does appear to be factual with no contextualspin..