Images of Muhammed

A few days ago I posted the 12 Danish cartoons whose publication (and subsequent carefully orchestrated agitation by a few radical Muslim clerics) has provoked widespread demostrations, rioting, and violence. I published them mainly to make them available for anyone who wanted to see what all the fuss was about, since our lamestream media wasn’t (and for the most part, still isn’t publishing them. They remain posted on my site.

One of the reasons that some of the lamestream media cite for not publishing the cartoons is a claim of sensitivity to the Muslim religion, which prohibits images of Muhammed. Besides the obvious hypocrisy (they’ve never hesitated — in fact, they’ve been eager — to publish images that are highly offensive to Christians and Jews), there’s also this little problem: the assertion that Islam prohibits images of Muhammed is false. In fact, Muslims through the ages have made many thousands of images of Muhammed, some of them beautiful works of art now hanging in the world’s museums — where they’ve been for many years, with no resulting riots.

If you’re skeptical that the lamestream media could get such a simple fact so very, very wrong, here are some resources for you to prove it to yourself. First, this excellent collection of images of Muhammed available online. This collection was made expressly to prove the point I’m making here: that Islam does not prohibit images of Muhammed, and in fact has a history of celebrating them. My favorite out of this collection is the one at above right, which is currently published in the Iranian newspaper Hamshahri (remember, Iran is a Muslim country that is ruled by Muslim clerics — fairly radical clerics who believe in things like wiping Israel off the map, and nuclear weapons as religious tools). Oh, the hypocrisy! Another source of information is the self-styled Cranky Professor, a man with some knowledge in these matters.

From my readings on this issue, it does appear that some radical Muslims — very much a minority — believe that images of Muhammed are forbidden. One of these radical groups you’ve probably heard of: the Taliban. Remember when they blew up the statues of Budha? Their reason was their belief that Islam prohibits any depiction of any living being (including Muhammed); their reasoning being that only Allah could create life. Through the ages, various splinter groups of Muslims held beliefs regarding images ranging from the Taliban-like extreme to much milder forms. This is all true. But it is not true that mainstream Islamic theology — past or present — prohibits images of Muhammed. The previously mentioned collection, and the fact that mainstream Islamic media currently publishes images of Muhammed, would seem to buttress my point.

Interestingly, in the comments on my cartoons post you’ll a mention of this alleged prohibition:

Maybe you don´t know, but muslims NEVER represent Mahoma, in any form. NEVER. Could you imagine that?? I´m sure it is not a matter of freedom, is much more a matter of respect.

This is the only such assertion out of dozens of comments, many of which appear to be written by Muslims (many of whom are quite distressed by the cartoons). The poster either is a member of a Muslim splinter group that holds Taliban-like beliefs, or is impersonating one. I wonder what he or she would think of the links I’ve posted that prove the lie in their assertion?