A Minnesota University Is Under Fire for Dismissing an Art History Professor Who Showed Medieval

[Coventina]

In a controversial move, an adjunct professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, has lost her job after showing her class Medieval paintings depicting the Prophet Muhammad, founder of the Islamic religion.

The school’s decision not to renew the professor’s contract for the current semester has sparked debates over free speech, including a Change.org petition in support of the teacher, signed by at least 2,500 scholars and students of Islamic studies and art history, and a condemnation from PEN America of the “egregious violation” of academic freedom.

Though it is not mentioned in the Koran, many Muslims believe it is idolatrous to show Muhammad’s face. Most mosques instead are decorated with geometric designs and calligraphy featuring passages from the Koran, and Islamic figurative art is now rare.

But there is also a tradition of painting Muhammad, often in miniature, especially in Persia, Turkey, and India. Examples can be found in the collections of museums such as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. It was a selection of two of those artworks shown to the class that cost the professor her job.

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/professor-terminated-art-history-paintings-muhammad-2238922

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I actually attended a madrassa where one of the Muslim lecturers showed an image of Muhammad. When I asked him about it, he shrugged and said that most Muslims don't really care, as long as the image is not disrespectful.

As an Art Historian, this story is really upsetting to me.

What happened to academic freedom?!?!?!