Word: prophets
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Protests erupted across the Muslim world last week after European newspapers, out of concern for freedom of the press, reprinted controversial Danish cartoons lampooning the Prophet Muhammad...
...reaction? For devout Muslims, even benign images of the Prophet are considered blasphemous. And many Muslims viewed the Danish cartoons--one of which depicts him wearing a bomb-shaped turban--as an attempt to equate their faith with terrorism...
Does the Koran forbid images of the Prophet? Not explicitly, but some passages are interpreted as a ban. The Hadith, a compilation of Islamic traditions, specifically forbids the depiction of God and his prophets--including Jesus. Scholars through the ages have argued that such images encourage idolatry, which is regarded as a grave sin. Shi'ite Muslims make an exception for Muhammad's cousin Ali, who they believe was his rightful successor, so Ali's image is common in Shi'ite areas like Iran and Iraq...
Does Islamic art ever include images of Muhammad? Almost never. On rare occasions, he is depicted as a figure with a veiled face. In the Middle East, even movies and TV programs about the Prophet never show his visage. Early in Islamic history, his face was shown in Persian paintings and tapestries, many of which have since been defaced...
...September a Danish author went on the record as saying he had problems finding illustrators for a book about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The [eventual] illustrator insisted on anonymity. Translators of a book by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali Dutch politician who has been critical of Islam, also insisted on anonymity. Then the Tate Britain in London removed an installation called God Is Great, which shows the Talmud, the Koran and the Bible embedded in a piece of glass. To me, all those spoke to the problems of self-censorship and freedom of speech, and that...