Apologies ... I couldn't find any of the paintings related to this news article. Here is a painting though of Mad Mo in Hell by Gustave Dore. I think the artist was inspired by Dantes' Inferno.
Posted on 12/28/2012 12:36:54 PM PST by DogByte6RER
Pakistan's leading arts college has pushed boundaries before in this conservative nation. But when a series of paintings depicting Muslim clerics in scenes with strong homosexual overtones sparked an uproar and threats of violence by Islamic extremists, it was too much.
Officials at the National College of Arts in the eastern city of Lahore shut down its academic journal, which published the paintings, pulled all its issues out of bookstores and dissolved its editorial board. Still, a court is currently considering whether the paintings' artist, the journal's board and the school's head can be charged with blasphemy.
The college's decision to cave to Islamist pressure underscores how space for progressive thought is shrinking in Pakistan as hardline interpretations of Islam gain ground. It was also a marked change for an institution that has long been one of the leading defenders of liberal views in the country.
Pakistan is an overwhelmingly Muslim nation, and the majority of its citizens have long been fairly conservative. But what has grown more pronounced in recent years is the power of religious hardliners to enforce their views on members of the population who disagree, often with the threat of violence.
The government is caught up in a war against a domestic Taliban insurgency and often seems powerless to protect its citizens. At other times it has acquiesced to hardline demands because of fear, political gain or a convergence of beliefs.
"Now you have gun-toting people out there on the streets," said Saleema Hashmi, a former head of arts college. "You don't know who will kill you. You know no one is there to protect you."
The uproar was sparked when the college's Journal of Contemporary Art and Culture over the summer published pictures of a series of paintings by artist Muhammad Ali.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Fraudulent homoerotic depictions of prominent clerics are "progressive thought"? Libel and slander are not welcome anywhere. This author is wacko.
No images of the offensive material??? I want to make sure that my mural of Mohammad blowing Satan is OK. After all I don’t want to offend anyone.
Apologies ... I couldn't find any of the paintings related to this news article. Here is a painting though of Mad Mo in Hell by Gustave Dore. I think the artist was inspired by Dantes' Inferno.
Ummm yeah, they are protesting too much me thinks...
Actually I think it is 28 not 18. 72 hori + 28 boys =100. It is promised that in their paradise the faithful can ejaculate 100 times a day.
Muslim liberal arts!! Interesting considering islam is all male oriented.
Is it not satan that rules worldly delights? Islam already has a problem with wine in their paradise as wine on earth is Satan’s handiwork! How did satan get to Allah’s paradise?
Thats once every 14 minutes and 6 seconds.
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