Hamline University Professor Fired for Showing Images of Muhammad had Warned Students in Syllabus

[Turd Fergusen]

A Minnesota liberal arts professor who was allegedly fired after showing students images of Muhammad in a class about Islamic art warned students about the works in the syllabus.

Erika López Prater, an adjunct professor at Hamline University, issued a syllabus warning students that the class would contain images of holy figures, including the prophet Muhammad and the Buddha, according to a New York Times report Sunday. Students were told they could contact her with any concerns about the course material, but none did, according to the report.

Prater also reportedly warned students that a painting containing an image of Muhammad was going to be displayed a few minutes ahead of time, giving anyone who might be offended by such imagery an opportunity to leave the classroom.

Despite the multiple warnings, a senior student in the class later complained to administrators about the imagery and picked up support from Muslim students who were not in the class, resulting in Prater not being welcomed back to the school and setting off national controversy surrounding academic freedom.

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.

“It is not our intent to place blame; rather, it is our intent to note that in the classroom incident—where an image forbidden for Muslims to look upon was projected on a screen and left for many minutes—respect for the observant Muslim students in that classroom should have superseded academic freedom,” Miller said in the letter.

Full Article:

Hamline University professor fired for showing images of Muhammad had warned students in syllabus

Erika López Prater, an adjunct professor at Hamline University, issued a syllabus warning students that the class would contain images of holy figures.

nypost.com

 

[Satanica]

Ridiculous. They were warned and no one forced them to look at the images.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

So the students who are not Muslim do not have the right to view these images even though they are paying tuition to learn about these works.

 

[Sejanus]

It is idiotic.
Not like it is an actual photo.
At best it is a guess.

Show what did it demonstrate other than a foolproof way to get sacked.
So much derp.

 

[thuumpr]

So the students who are not Muslim do not have the right to view these images even though they are paying tuition to learn about these works.

So many questions.

Why is it necessary to show images of Muhammad in this class on Islamic art?
Why are images of Muhammad depicted in Islamic art?
When did in become heresy for dipicting images of Muhammad?
What did Muhammad use on his driver's license?

 

[Blizzard]

Despite the multiple warnings, some woke piece of shit student in the class later complained to administrators

fixed that for them

 

[Alxprkrkrls]

So many questions.

Why is it necessary to show images of Muhammad in this class on Islamic art?
Why are images of Muhammad depicted in Islamic art?
When did in become heresy for dipicting images of Muhammad?
What did Muhammad use on his driver's license?

So it depends on the sect of Islam, Sunni Muslims believe it is heresy to portray Muhammad and the Shiites do not. Traditionally you cannot portray any living thing, humans animals etc which is why when you see Mosques they are generally covered in beautiful geometric patterns, whereas in a church you’ll see depictions of people, animals and Jesus. So if you are teaching a class on Islamic art and some Muslims do not have an issue with depictions of their prophet it but some do you have to try to work around it. It’s unfortunate that this professor was let go, they seem to have tried very hard to do the right thing.

 

[Turd Fergusen]

Yet somehow, it's ok for Saddam Hussein and the Ayatollah to have their faces plastered all over?

 

[Blunderbuss Firozabad]

Yet somehow, it's ok for Saddam Hussein and the Ayatollah to have their faces plastered all over?

They're not Prophets. Nor did they claim to be.
The issue as to whether Mohommad should be depicted as having a blank face or a flame for a face or expressed in calligraphy has evolved over the centuries, the hadiths have been re-interpreted, and the matter continues to divide Shias and Sunnis and other sects to this day, much like Matthew 27:24-25, much like passages that have given rise to all the many Christian branches that exist.

Having said that, the professor did nothing wrong, this is nothing but a dispute WITHIN the Islamic faith in this microcasm of an example that illustrates the differences within Islam.

I'm with the professor. The school sucks.
On the other hand, Hamlin is private. They can jerk knees whenever they want.

 

[Turd Fergusen]

Idolatry doesn't have to involve any prophets.

 

[Blunderbuss Firozabad]

Idolatry doesn't have to involve any prophets.

I almost didn't hear you respond to me
@Turd Fergusen...

"Idolatry" literally translates to "image worship."

"Aniconism" is the avoidance or prohibition of types of images.

Most major religions have prohibited Idolatry here and there and each sect and faith were different. different.

In Islam, Idolatry is worshiping the IMAGE of something, God's servants, property, ego, genies (luck, supernatural) Satan, dead prophets, other God's,, etc.
Don't love a tangible, transitory, or tempting to much so that you forget or spend less time with God.


In Islam, aniconism is as the most important example, the prohibition against depicting the face of the Prophet

Also in Shia Islam, images of the Prophet's face are rather common, unlike in the past, and Sunnis generally forbid depictions.

And it varies as to what is tolerated, interpretations, conservative vs liberal perspectives, countries cultures are different, etc

In other words they are not homogenous.

Khomeini was Shiite, Hussein was Sunni.
When they died the posters came down. And no one worshipped the flyers or posters.

The students who complained were probably Sunnis from either Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan or Saudi Arabia.

Your statement was true, but it wasn't quite the point.

ETA: The Professor should have not been fired. The student is a dick and could have recused himself that day.

 

[The All Seeing Eye]

The only adjunct professor who was worthy of a teaching gig was Prof Irwin Corey!