Hamline University, a private liberal arts school in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. has reportedly declined to renew the contract of a professor, Erika López Prater who showed her students medieval paintings depicting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

The 42-year-old Professor was let go from her position at the university in Saint Paul despite warning students ahead of time about the 14th-century imagery.

A new report from the New York Times indicates the professor was fired by Hamline University President Fayneese Miller for putting academic freedom over the respect of Muslim students.

Many practising Muslims do not believe in looking at pictures of Prophet Muhammad as they believe it may lead to worshipping an image.

Daily Mail reports that on October 6, 2022, the adjunct professor displayed the images during an online lecture. The incident gained traction after a student in attendance, Aram Wedatalla, president of the university’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), raised the issue with university administrators following a conversation with the professor.

As reported by Hamline University’s student newspaper The Oracle on December 6, a video recording of the lecture, alongside shared email correspondence between the professor and Wedatalla, indicated that the professor issued a two-minute content warning.

This warning was meant to allow students who were uncomfortable with viewing the images to exit the call or shut off the video component of the Google Meet room prior to proceeding with the Powerpoint slides featuring the images in question.

“I am showing you this image for a reason,” the professor said in the video, according to The Oracle. “And that is that there is this common thinking that Islam completely forbids, outright, any figurative depictions or any depictions of holy personages. While many Islamic cultures do strongly frown on this practice, I would like to remind you there is no one, monothetic Islamic culture.”

The first artwork was identified as “a 14th-century depiction of the Prophet receiving his first revelation from the archangel Gabriel” by Rashīd al-Dīn, and the second as the “Prophet with a veil and halo,” created by Mustafa ibn Vali in the 16th century.

The news of the professor’s dismissal was first reported by Christiane Gruber, a professor of Islamic art at the University of Michigan, in New Lines Magazine, a publication of the New Lines Institute nonprofit think tank. Gruber cites Hamline’s associate vice president of inclusive excellence, David Everett, saying “it was decided it was best that this faculty member was no longer part of the Hamline community.”

Hamline University did not respond to Hyperallergic’s repeated requests for comment, and Wedatalla could not be reached for comment. The news of the professor’s dismissal has yielded criticism from academics and literary activist groups such as PEN America and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which denounced the incident as a violation of academic freedom.

Although there is no specific mention in the Quran, it’s broadly accepted that most Muslims do not create or intentionally view figurative imagery of Prophet Muhammad and other Islamic prophets per the belief that Allah is the sole creator of living forms, coupled with the notion that imagery is a portal to idol worship and polytheism.

According to the Hadiths, or detailed records of Muhammad’s life and teachings, those who paint pictures would be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and be challenged to “breathe life soul into what [they] have created.” However, the prohibition of figurative representation of the prophet, or humans in general, varies across sects and traditions.

muykem:
America needs to be careful of Islam. They will be playing good citizens, innocent and victims of society intolerance until they get sizeable number of disciples and you start seeing bombing, killing and terrorism.

PrinceOfLagos:
Dem wan carry there extremism to America

Before you know it, they will start throwing bombs

muykem:
America needs to be careful of Islam. They will be playing good citizens, innocent and victims of society intolerance until they get sizeable number of disciples and you start seeing bombing, killing and terrorism.

muykem:
America needs to be careful of Islam. They will be playing good citizens, innocent and victims of society intolerance until they get sizeable number of disciples and you start seeing bombing, killing and terrorism.

nazicartel:
America should ban Muslims from coming to their country. Maybe they can excempt middle East Muslims. Those ones there are learned morethan African and far East Muslims

JAMO84:
See this Aturu wey dey advise America

CodeTemplar:
The student who made the complain was given the option to avoid seeing the picture but choose to remain in the class.

nazicartel:
America should ban Muslims from coming to their country. Maybe they can exempt middle East Muslims. Those ones there are learned morethan African and far East Muslims

muykem:
America needs to be careful of Islam. They will be playing good citizens, innocent and victims of society intolerance until they get sizeable number of disciples and you start seeing bombing, killing and terrorism.

OLAADEGBU:
U.S. Professor Fired For Showing Paintings Of Prophet Muhammad To Students | Sahara Reporters https://saharareporters.com/2023/01/09/us-professor-fired-showing-paintings-prophet-muhammad-students

Birniwa:
The problem with these pigs practicing this ill-conceived and half-baked religion called Christianity more especially the Nigerian goats is that they lack manners and respect for other faiths.

Muslims anywhere they are, will never insult other faiths, it's a teaching from the Holy Quran. Why can't you just learn from this excellent teaching but instead you jump into attacks anywhere you see a topic of discourse about Islam or Muslims.

Now look at what people with sense like America are doing to protect others. They think the teacher (as a Christian) has no right to attack any other faith and so, resorted to firing her instead. However, some adulterated pigs here in Nigeria are ranting that they should ban Muslims from entering their country. You probably do not think holy of your gods and do not care if any one insults them. Keep calm, no Muslim will ever engage in such nonsense with you.

nazicartel:
America should ban Muslims from coming to their country. Maybe they can excempt middle East Muslims. Those ones there are learned morethan African and far East Muslims

waledeji:
You always comment on every thread on nairaland. Are you this jobless

muykem:
America needs to be careful of Islam. They will be playing good citizens, innocent and victims of society intolerance until they get sizeable number of disciples and you start seeing bombing, killing and terrorism.

Birniwa:
The problem with these pigs practicing this ill-conceived and half-baked religion called Christianity more especially the Nigerian goats is that they lack manners and respect for other faiths.

Muslims anywhere they are, will never insult other faiths, it's a teaching from the Holy Quran. Why can't you just learn from this excellent teaching but instead you jump into attacks anywhere you see a topic of discourse about Islam or Muslims.

Now look at what people with sense like America are doing to protect others. They think the teacher (as a Christian) has no right to attack any other faith and so, resorted to firing her instead. However, some adulterated pigs here in Nigeria are ranting that they should ban Muslims from entering their country. You probably do not think holy of your gods and do not care if any one insults them. Keep calm, no Muslim will ever engage in such nonsense with you.

freshkpomo:


Muslims are stupid to the call and think their problem is America and everyone in America are Christians. What if the teacher is and Atheist and how did she do wrong but teaching the student about great prophet Muhammad and using a beautiful photo of him to illustrate? Did he abuse the prophet? YOU Muslims are so stupid and quick to claim victims.
B4 the end of this year you will become a Muslim, can I hear you say a loudable Amen?!

You say Christians attack you, but I can't recall the last time a Christian bombed or slit yhe throat of a Muslim because of religion. Even Deborah Samuel that your useless brothers killed was framed. Muslims call Jesus a prophet all the time, atheist abuse Christianity, Gays curse on God but we don't see no one dying or even when a movie is made of it. Christians have swallowed all of this but just an ant bite you all will start foaming like rabid dogs....


I am not writing to you as a Christian but as a concerned person telling you to face atheist and leave Christians alone you pig with your bloodthirsty fictional character.

PrinceOfLagos:
Dem wan carry there extremism to America

Before you know it, they will start throwing bombs

PrinceOfLagos:
Dem wan carry there extremism to America

Before you know it, they will start throwing bombs

grandstar:
Is she mad? Doesn't she not know it's taboo?

There's a difference between free speech and stupidity infused with insensitivity.

I am not a muslim but one won't die appreciating the sensitivity of Muslims. No one even knows what he looked like so a painting of his makes no sense.