[Vision2020] Muhammad On Display in Ireland

[J Ford]

Thought you might like to see how another part of the world sees this whole 
issue.  I got this from an Irish Paper I subscribe to:


Images of Muhammad on display in Chester Beatty

Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are on display at the Chester Beatty 
Library in Dublin, home to one of Europe's best collections of Islamic 
manuscripts. Kitty Holland reports

The museum director says that although images of Muhammad are considered 
blasphemous by most Muslims, the museum shows several miniatures, 
particularly in manuscripts by Sufi Muslims from the Persian Empire.

Michael Ryan said the Chester Beatty was "discreet" when displaying texts or 
manuscripts featuring images of Muhammad which show his face obscured, 
either with a veil or by a bright light or a halo.

"Some have voiced concerns about the texts. But we regard these as 
historical documents, though when they are on display we don't shout about 
it. We try to be discreet," Mr Ryan said.

The Imam of the Islamic Foundation of Ireland, Sheikh Yayha Al Hussein, said 
he had written to the library "a few years ago to tell them it was wrong".

"But generally these are images done a long time ago by other Muslims", he 
added. "We don't want to protest to the Irish museum about it now, but they 
wouldn't be shown in a museum in a Muslim country."

One manuscript depicts Muhammad and his son-in-law, Ali. The image, Ali 
Taking The Fortress of Qamus, is taken from a copy of The Realm of Purity by 
Rawzat al-Safa and was completed in Shiraz, Iran, in AD 1595. The 
explanatory note beside it in the museum states: "He [ Muhammad] and Ali are 
easily identified by the flaming haloes that engulf their heads."

Mr Ryan said: "The representation of the human form, and even more so of 
prophets and especially of Muhammad is considered blasphemous by most 
Muslims. The Sunni Muslims in particular find the idea of an image depicting 
Muhammad extremely difficult." Some 90 per cent of Muslims are Sunni.

Also on display in the museum is Scene From the Story of Miqdad ibn Aswad - 
a Turkish and Arabic text dated AD 1594-95. "This manuscript is highly 
unusual in that it originally contained over 800 miniatures most of which 
portray the prophet Muhammad," says the accompanying explanatory note.

Summayah Kenna, spokeswoman for the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh, 
Dublin, said the centre would not consider protesting over the displays. "We 
appreciate the work of the Chester Beatty. We would just ignore those images 
if we went to to the Library."

Meanwhile, at a press conference in Dublin yesterday, Sheikh Yayha Al 
Hussein joined Dr Nooh Al Kaddo, executive director of the Islamic Cultural 
Centre of Ireland, and Sheikh Hussein Halawa, Imam of the Islamic Cultural 
Centre of Ireland, in condemning cartoons in European newspapers depicting 
the prophet with bombs.

Muslims here have been "extremely offended" by the cartoons and saw them as 
"an attack on our prophet, an attack on our faith".
J  :]

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