Depictions of the Prophet Muhammed is nothing new both in
the West and in Islamic countries.
LONDON: Despite the outcry, the Danish cartoons of Mohammed are just the latest in a long
line of depictions of the Muslim prophet, both in the West and in Islamic countries. From
Ottoman religious icons to market stalls in Iran, from the US Supreme Court building to
the South Park cartoon, Mohammed has been frequently portrayed in flattering and
unflattering lights.
Many painters, including William Blake, Gustave Dore, Auguste Rodin and Salvador Dali,
have depicted Mohammed in illustrations of Dante's Inferno, where the Muslim prophet ends
up in hell with his entrails hanging out.
Depictions of Mohammed were common during the Ottoman Empire, when the taboo on portraying
him was less strong, although often his face was left blank. The Boston Museum of Fine
Arts has a 16th-century picture of Mohammed in a mosque, wearing long sleeves to hide his
arms and hands.
A 14th-century Persian miniature shows the angel Gabriel speaking to Mohammed, whose face
is shown. Medieval Islamic pictures often echoed Christian iconography. The University of
California has a 14th-century Turkish painting of the newborn Mohammed in his mother's
arms, like pictures of the Christ child.
The taboo is stronger in Sunni Islam than Shia -- and even today in Iran, which is mainly
Shia, pictures of Mohammed can be bought illegally in markets.
Even in the holiest Muslim city of Mecca, Mohammed has been depicted. Edinburgh University
has a 14th-century miniature of him rededicating the black stone at the Kaaba mosque in
Mecca, to illustrate A Monumental History of the World by Rachid Ed-Dine.
In Islam, as in other religions, different communities will place different
interpretations on the Hadith, the sayings of the prophet, which deal with depictions of
him.
Mohammed is recorded as having said: "And who is more unjust than those who try to
create the likeness of my creation?" He also said: "Angels do not enter a house
in which there is a dog or a picture."
Taken with the Koranic injunctions on respect for the prophet, these sayings mean that in
strict Islamic interpretations, any representation of any living thing is forbidden.
Essential illustrations in academic textbooks might, for example, show a cow but with the
head missing.
Technically, the rulings also forbid photographs of family members in the home, video
cameras and mobile picture phones. They remain the subject of intense debate in Islamic
scholarly circles.
Just as many young British Muslims today photograph their friends and family on their
mobile telephones, the prophet has appeared in art throughout the centuries, along with
his court. Where this has happened, concession is usually made to Muslim sensitivities by
ensuring the features of his face at least are veiled or blanked out.
Such pictures arose most often in cultures where it was a mark of respect to hang pictures
of a reigning monarch or other leader in homes and galleries.
Imam Ibrahim Mogra, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "This would happen where
the Hadith prohibiting it might be overlooked, or merely interpreted differently. For
example, some scholars might argue that the intention of the Hadith was to prevent worship
of the image and that it was permissible to have an image where the aim was not to worship
but to show respect."
He said the debate continued in Muslim families today. "Some are very strict about it
and will not have photographs taken except for official documents such as a driving
licence or a passport. Others will say it is OK to have photographs taken because they do
not intend to worship the pictures. In this country, most people take a relaxed view about
photographs."
The US Supreme Court in Washington has a statue of Mohammed as an example of an ancient
law-maker. Mohammed was put to less serious use by a German food company in 1928, which
used him for advertising bouillon.
In the past 20 years, many books on Islam in France have shown pictures of Mohammed, even
on their cover, in a more sympathetic light.
In 2001, the satirical cartoon South Park included an episode called Super Best Friends in
which Mohammed and the founders of the other world religions acted as superheroes.
Although not deliberately blasphemous, there can be few portrayals of Mohammed in an
all-singing, all-dancing version.
The Times http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au
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