The Council on American-Islamic Relations isn’t shy about leveling accusations of Islamophobia, however not even CAIR believes {that a} Minnesota professor who confirmed medieval art work of Muhammad crossed the road.
The Muslim-rights group got here to the protection Friday of former Hamline College adjunct professor Erika Lopez Prater, overriding its Minnesota chapter after it condemned as Islamophobic the show of two historic photos of the Muslim prophet throughout an Oct. 6 on-line artwork class.
“Though we strongly discourage displaying visible depictions of the Prophet, we acknowledge that professors who analyze historic work for a tutorial objective usually are not the identical as Islamophobes who present such photos to trigger offense,” the nationwide group mentioned in a press release. “Primarily based on what we all know up up to now, we see no proof that Professor Erika López Prater acted with Islamophobic intent or engaged in conduct that meets our definition of Islamophobia.”
The assertion got here after the group’s Minnesota chapter entered the fray with a press convention to help Hamline, a small college in St. Paul that suffered a nationwide uproar for not renewing Ms. Lopez Prater’s contract on the finish of the autumn time period.
“You will need to keep in mind that tutorial freedom just isn’t absolute,” mentioned CAIR-Minnesota govt director Jaylani Hussein on the Wednesday press briefing, as proven on Fox9 Minneapolis. “And universities have the suitable to limit speech that promotes hate or discrimination.”
Hamline blasted the artwork lecture as “undeniably thoughtless, disrespectful and Islamophobic,” saying respect for Muslim college students “ought to have outmoded tutorial freedom” after a pupil who attended the category complained.
Ms. Lopez Prater warned college students forward of time in regards to the photos each within the course syllabus after which once more earlier than displaying them through the on-line lecture. Nonetheless, Hamline senior Aram Wedatalla mentioned she was “extraordinarily harm and dissatisfied.”
“I used to be shocked to seek out that I used to be in a category with a professor who gave me set off warnings earlier than continuing to disrespect my faith and me,” Ms. Wedatalla, president of the Muslim Pupil Affiliation, mentioned on the CAIR-Minnesota press convention.
Whereas many Muslims contemplate visible depictions of the Prophet sacrilegious, the view just isn’t common. Muslim artists in some areas created “reverential work of the Prophet,” and a few Muslims “use sure photos as a part of their non secular practices,” mentioned CAIR.
“What we discover un-Islamic just isn’t essentially Islamophobic, and we should be cautious to differentiate between these two ideas,” mentioned the nationwide group. “Teachers shouldn’t be condemned as bigots with out proof or lose their positions with out justification.”
In uncommon transfer, CAIR points press launch with official nationwide place on Hamline scenario — breaking with the Minnesota chapter’s place https://t.co/5jtuYTYwfx
— Becky Zosia Dernbach (@bzosiad) January 13, 2023
The Muslim Public Affairs Council additionally defended Ms. Lopez Prater, saying that the 14th-century portray was “not Islamophobic” and actually was commissioned by a Muslim king to honor the Prophet by depicting him receiving a revelation from the archangel Gabriel.
“Given the ubiquity of Islamophobic depictions of the Prophet Muḥammad, it hardly is smart to focus on an artwork professor making an attempt to fight slender understandings of Islam,” mentioned the council in a press release. “There’s an unmistakable irony within the scenario, which must be appreciated.”
Hamline President Fayneese Miller issued a press release Wednesday defending the college’s place and disputing media experiences saying that Ms. Lopez Prater was fired or dismissed.
“The adjunct taught the category to the tip of the time period, when she, like all different school, accomplished the time period necessities, and posted her grades,” Ms. Miller mentioned in a press release. “The choice to not provide her one other class was made on the unit degree and on no account displays on her capacity to adequately train the category.”
She mentioned that directors, workers and a Hamline pupil “now obtain each day threats of violence,” and he or she took problem with these accusing the college of infringing upon tutorial freedom.
“Hamline is a liberal arts establishment, the oldest in Minnesota, the primary to confess ladies, and now led by a girl of coloration,” mentioned Ms. Miller. “To disclaim the precepts upon which tutorial freedom is predicated could be to undermine our foundational rules. Prioritizing the well-being of our college students doesn’t in any method negate or reduce the rights and privileges assured by tutorial freedom.”
Free-speech teams have rallied behind Ms. Lopez Prater. A Change.org petition posted by College of Michigan professor of Islamic artwork Christiane Gruber calling for Hamline to reinstate the professor had reached Friday almost 15,000 signatures.
In its assertion, CAIR mentioned that “we usually don’t touch upon native points that come up in states with an present CAIR chapter.”
“Nevertheless, we should generally converse as much as make clear the place our complete group stands on native points with nationwide implications. That is a kind of occasions,” mentioned the nationwide group.
