A well-known Muslim group is standing up for a professor who lost his job for displaying a picture of the Prophet Mohammed to students.
In a statement published on Monday, the Muslim Public Affairs Council demanded that Hamline University overturn its decision to dismiss Erika Lopez Prater, a professor of art history.
It even supports the professor’s instruction and refutes charges made by several pupils that the picture she showed her class in October was Islamophobic.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council is the newest organization to support Prater and condemn the Minnesota-based school’s decision to terminate her after it released its statement.
As part of a larger course on international art, Prater delivered an online lesson about Islamic art on October 6 that quickly drew criticism.
She decided to present a sculpture from the 14th century that depicts the angel Gabriel giving the Prophet his first revelation.
Professor Prater allowed students two minutes to look away from the screen or log out before she projected the picture onto her presentation because she was aware that seeing any image of the Prophet is considered blasphemous in certain sects of Islam.
However, Aram Wedatalla, a student and the leader of the Muslim organization at the university, opted to continue taking the course online. She then expressed her dissatisfaction with the image and how it made her feel ostracized to school administrators.
Allison Baker, the department chair, assured Prater that she had “done everything correctly,” but following more complaints from students, some of whom were not even in the class, Prater was let go.
It was seen as a win for the students.
Student DeAngela Huddleston told the school publication The Oracle that Hamline “teaches us it doesn’t matter the goal, the effect is what counts.”
The school’s actions are now being criticized by many Muslims, who also applaud Prater for presenting Muslim art.
For instance, the Muslim Public Affairs Council said in a statement on Monday that it supports Prater and urged the institution to “change its decision and to take remedial measures to improve the situation.”
According to the group, “as a Muslim organization, we accept the legitimacy and pervasiveness of an Islamic stance that discourages or bans any portrayals of the Prophet, particularly if done in an offensive or insulting way.”
However, we also acknowledge the historical truth that various points of view have existed and that some Muslims, particularly Shi’a Muslims, have no qualms with depicting the Prophet (although they often cover his face out of respect.
All of this demonstrates the Islamic tradition’s enormous internal variety, which should be praised.
It is appropriate to congratulate the professor for her contribution to the education of both Muslim and non-Muslim students and for doing it in a way that emphasizes critical thinking.
The Council for Muslim Public Affairs
In order to support its claim that the picture is not anti-Islamic, it continues by pointing out that it was “commissioned by a Muslim ruler in the 14th century to commemorate the Prophet, showing the first Quranic revelation from the angel Gabriel.”
Even while many Muslims find these representations offensive, the article adds, “Dr. Prater was attempting to stress a critical aspect of religious literacy: faiths are not monolithic in origin, but rather internally heterogeneous.”
This idea should be understood in order to resist Islamophobia, which often rests on the essentialist and reductionist perspective of Islam and the Islamic heritage.
It is appropriate to congratulate the professor for her contribution to the education of both Muslim and non-Muslim students and for doing it in a way that emphasizes critical thinking.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council also made notice of the prevalence of “very unpleasant and politicized depictions of the Prophet Mohammad on the Internet and social media,” which it deemed “wrong and not dissimilar to “black face” or anti-Semitic cartoons.”
But the group claims: “It scarcely makes sense to attack an art professor working to counter limited perceptions of Islam given the prevalence of Islamophobic portrayals of the Prophet Muhammad.
The situation is clearly ironic, and that should be recognized.
Additionally, abusing the word “Islamophobia” weakens the concept and makes it less successful at identifying genuine instances of prejudice, according to the study.
Finally, it says, “We emphasize the significance of education in the Islamic heritage.
We acknowledge the need to foster a culture of open inquiry, critical thinking, and viewpoint diversity in higher education on the basis of our shared Islamic and universal principles.
The declaration comes as a Change.org petition with over 9,600 signatures calling for the reinstatement of the sacked professor.
The petition claims that Prater was terminated without following “due process” and demands that the institution conduct an impartial review.
Prater has made no remarks on the matter.
In an interview with the student newspaper after the event in October, the university’s associate vice president for inclusive excellence described the instruction as “undeniably Islamophobic.”
According to him, it was best for the teaching member to leave the Hamline community.
Uncertainty surrounds the employment status of Allison Baker, the department director who concurred with Prater and assured her that she had “done everything properly.”
When asked by DailyMail.com on criticism of the choice, Hamline University did not react.
Instead, a representative cited a statement made on the subject in December.
People at Hamline University have a range of opinions, aspirations, and interactions. Like many other communities in higher education, ours is made up of individuals with a variety of life experiences, including religious traditions and beliefs.
“As an institution, we recognize the variety among us and are dedicated to fostering a culture of respect and consideration for one another.
As has been mentioned, an adjunct professor showed pictures of the prophet Muhammad last semester. In the classroom, students’ religion is not abandoned.
For many Muslims, it is against their beliefs to stare at a picture of the prophet Muhammad.
Many scholars have questioned the appropriate way to examine Islamic art, and this is undoubtedly a topic that merits discussion and debate.
‘It was crucial that our Muslim kids, as well as all other students, felt comfortable, supported, and respected both in and out of our classrooms,’ a spokesperson said. ‘For those of us who have been entrusted with the job of teaching the next generation of leaders and active citizens.
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