Actual diversity and inclusion were considered acts of hate in Hamline University art class
Christopher Tremoglie
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Hamline University fired a professor for showing two centuries-old paintings of the Prophet Muhammad during an online art class last semester because it was considered Islamophobic. So even willingly participating in diversity and inclusion is now considered bigotry. It all depends on the radical whims of indoctrinated masses on college campuses throughout the country. It’s indicative of the utterly sycophantic toxic culture the Left has created.
As the Washington Examiner reported Tuesday, after a professor showed two paintings of Muhammad, one from the 14th century and one from the 16th century, during a class on Oct. 6, the school’s president of the Muslim Student Association, Aram Wedatalla, informed the school’s administration. The paintings weren’t offensive or critical of Muhammad in any way. Yet because it is forbidden by most, but not all, Muslim denominations to depict Muhammad in art, the university fired the professor. It was an egregious overreaction.
PROFESSOR AXED FOR SHOWING PAINTINGS OF MUHAMMAD
Yet while school administrators labeled the incident an act of Islamophobia, a more logical and commonsense approach shows none of that is true. The art professor was just a sacrificial lamb in the Left’s hostile crusade to demonize anyone or anything it desires. Moreover, given the history of artwork featuring Muhammad, it exemplifies how utterly foolish Wedatalla and the school’s administration truly are. It shows neither is knowledgeable, tolerant, or inclusive of Islamic religion and history.
Consider that one of the paintings that led to the controversy was “commissioned by a Sunni Muslim king in Iran and that it forms part of a cycle of illustrations narrating and commemorating Muhammad’s prophecy that art historians consider to be a ‘global artistic masterpiece,'” Reason reported. If displaying artwork featuring Muhammad is such an offensive act in Islam, then logic would dictate that a Muslim king wouldn’t be commissioning it for anything.
Next, if showing such paintings is Islamophobic, then some of the biggest Islamophobes on the planet are none other than the millions of Muslims around the world. After all, while it is obviously controversial, many Muslims have repeatedly “created and enjoyed” artwork featuring the Prophet Muhammad and consider such art to be an honor. In fact, a professor of Islamic art from the University of Michigan, Christiane Gruber, claimed that those people who restrict such artwork prop up the voices of the “Orientalist-Salafi echo chamber” that are “very detrimental to the heritage of Islam.”
Nevertheless, the professor was still sensitive to this fact and provided students advanced notice, written and verbal, that these “artistic masterpieces” would be used in class, according to Reason. Additionally, the professor did not require the students to “engage with the painting” and allowed them to “turn off the screen” if they desired. But the professor still lost his or her job.
Incidentally, such punishment seems to conflict with Muslim orthodoxy. The core tenets of Islam state that “intention” is an integral part of the religion. The Prophet Muhammad stated that people should be held accountable “for actions depending on their intentions,” Reason reported. Given the precautions the professor took ahead of time, it’s obvious there weren’t any harmful intentions. It’s safe to assume that even the Prophet Muhammad would believe the professor is innocent of wrongdoing.
There wasn’t any Islamophobia, and the professor conducted a respectful lesson. It was educating students on a non-Christian religion and culture. It embodied everything the Left repeatedly claimed it wanted. The professor at Hamline University was a sacrificial lamb in the Left’s truculent crusade for social justice, and it’s the latest example of why its movement must be stopped.
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