Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Muslim Students Association Gets College Prof Fired Over Mohammed Painting
Front Page Magazine ^ | December 26, 2022 | Daniel Greenfield

Posted on 12/27/2022 12:23:25 AM PST by grundle

We live under Sharia law.

You don’t need to go to Afghanistan or Doha to find Islamic Sharia law being enforced, complete with penalties for blasphemy.

You can find it right here in America.

This story took place at Hamline University in Saint Paul where punishing blasphemy has made a comeback courtesy of woke administrators, Islamist staffers and Muslim Brotherhood front groups.

A faculty member had included in their global survey of art history a session on Islamic art, which offered an optional visual analysis and discussion of a famous medieval Islamic painting of the Prophet Muhammad. A student complained about the image’s inclusion in the course and led efforts to press administrators for a response. After that, the university’s associate vice president of inclusive excellence (AVPIE) declared the classroom exercise “undeniably inconsiderate, disrespectful and Islamophobic.”

Neither before nor after these declarations was the faculty member given a public platform or forum to explain the classroom lecture and activity. To fill in the gap, on Dec. 6, an essay written by a Hamline professor of religion who teaches Islam explaining the incident along with the historical context and aesthetic value of Islamic images of Muhammad was published on The Oracle’s website. The essay was taken down two days later. One day after that, Hamline’s president and AVPIE sent a message to all employees stating that “respect for the observant Muslim students in that classroom should have superseded academic freedom.” The essay’s censorship and the subsequent email by two top university administrators raise serious concerns about freedom of speech and academic freedom at the university.

The instructor was released from their spring term teaching at Hamline, and its AVPIE went on the record as stating: “It was decided it was best that this faculty member was no longer part of the Hamline community.” In other words, an instructor who showed an Islamic painting during a visual analysis — a basic exercise for art history training — was publicly impugned for hate speech and dismissed thereafter, without access to due process.

The Oracle provides more context. And a process that looks more like Pakistan than America.

Along with the involvement of the Muslim Students Association, an Islamist campus hate group whose chapters have been linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and antisemitic acts.

The Oracle has since learned that the event in question occurred on Oct. 6, when a professor shared two depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in class, while discussing Islamic art. One was a 14th century depiction of the Prophet and the other was a 16th century depiction of the Prophet with veil and halo.

Within Islam, there are varying beliefs regarding whether the representation of the Prophet Muhammad is acceptable. The majority of those practicing Islam today believe it is forbidden to see and create representations of Prophet Muhammad.

That’s because the majority are Sunnis. Shiites are more relaxed about it. But woke academics pander to Sunni Islamists and have been prepped to treat any depiction of a genocidal pedophile warlord as a hate crime.

Aram Wedatalla, a Hamline senior and the president of Muslim Student Association (MSA), was in the class at the time the photos were shared.

“I’m like, ‘this can’t be real,’” Wedatalla told the Oracle. “As a Muslim, and a black person, I don’t feel like I belong, and I don’t think I’ll ever belong in a community where they don’t value me as a member, and they don’t show the same respect that I show them.”

Deangela Huddleston, a Hamline senior and MSA member, also shared her thoughts with the Oracle.

“Hamline teaches us it doesn’t matter the intent, the impact is what matters,” Huddleston said.

Wedatalla emailed MSA’s leadership team and members of the Hamline administration on Oct. 7, the day after the incident. On this same day, she met with President Fayneese Miller. Dean of Students Patti Kersten also called Wedatalla and apologized for her experience.

Note the MSA part. This was a hit organized by a campus chapter of an Islamist organization that believes in the supremacy of Islamic law over civil rights.

Aram Wedatalla is a Sudanese immigrant who is now imposing Islamic law, as is the norm in Sudan, on Americans.

What did the professor really do that was so offensive? Nothing from an American standpoint. But the instructor’s real offense was challenging Islamism by suggesting that there were different approaches.

That’s the sort of thing that gets you beheaded.

In the video of the class, the professor gives a content warning and describes the nature of the depictions to be shown and reflects on their controversial nature for more than two minutes before advancing to the slides in question.

The Oracle was able to identify these two images using video of the lecture. The first was a 14th century depiction of the Prophet receiving his first revelation from the archangel Gabriel, created by Rashīd al-Dīn, a Persian Muslim scholar and historian.

The other depicts the Prophet with a veil and halo. It was created by Mustafa ibn Vali in the 16th century as part of an illustration of the Siyer-i Nebi (the Life of the Prophet), an earlier, Ottomon Turkish epic work on the life of Muhammad.

“I am showing you this image for a reason. 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 professor said before changing to the slide that included these depictions.

In the Oct. 8 email to Wedatalla, the professor stated that they “[let] the class know ahead of time” what would be shown and to give students time to turn off their video.

“I did not try to surprise students with this image, and I did my best to provide students with an ‘out,’” the professor wrote in the email.

“I also described every subsequent slide I showed with language to indicate when I was no longer showing an image of the Prophet Muhammad. I am sorry that despite my attempt to prevent a negative reaction, you still viewed and were troubled by this image.”

With Islamists embedded as social justice activists and the MSA, the professor’s fate was sealed.

MSA students and their advisor Nur Mood, Assistant Director of Social Justice Programs and Strategic Relations, met with members of the administration on Oct. 10 to discuss the incident and how to move forward.

“This [incident is] much deeper and it’s something that in a million years, I never expected that it would happen here at Hamline. I hope this is the last time I see something similar to this,” Mood said in a Dec. 2 interview with the Oracle. “There’s a lot of apologies all happening, but the harm’s done. I think we should have started more focused about the healing process.”

Healing from the experience of religious dissent. Do we live in an Islamic theocracy? How is it possible to deny it.

The professor of the class emailed Wedatalla that Saturday, Oct. 8.

“I would like to apologize that the image I showed in class on [Oct. 6] made you uncomfortable and caused you emotional agitation. It is never my intention to upset or disrespect students in my classroom,” the professor wrote in the email to Wedatalla, who shared it with the Oracle.

Apologies, of course are futile. The goal is to take heads and impose Sharia.

The Nov. 7 email from the Dean of Students also outlined a plan to address Islamophobia, with steps including an in-progress forum on Islamophobia and a reporting form. In the future, the responses to “bias and hate incidents” will come from the Office of Inclusive Excellence, Everett wrote.

Kersten noted that Hamline is in the process of rolling out a “diversity component” for new students beyond orientation. Mood suggested that all faculty could be required to take a training on Islamophobia.

Mandatory Islamist indoctrination for every student. Are we living in Afghanistan?

As of Dec. 6, it is unclear what process the professor was afforded to respond to allegations.

Faculty received an email on Nov. 29 from the Office of Inclusive Excellence regarding this semester’s final Community Conversation which will focus on Islamophobia. This event will be led by Jaylani Hussein, the Executive Director of Minnesota’s chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.

Mood recognizes that this is only another step in the process of making the campus more inclusive.

“I work with the leadership team, to make Hamline a place that Muslims – faculty, staff or students – are proud of and I want to be part of that. I’m very optimistic about this and hopefully we’ll get to that place,” Mood said.

Where’s FIRE, the ACLU and all the academic freedom people on this? Or do they only care when elementary school teachers are restricted from promoting sex and dangerous hormone treatments to first graders?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: diversity; immigration; invasion; islam
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-53 next last

1 posted on 12/27/2022 12:23:25 AM PST by grundle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: grundle

How can a proper moon gawd worshiping Mooozlim student go to a university called Hamline? Or Hambone or ham anything?
________

Hamline University | Saint Paul, Minnesota
https://www.hamline.edu
WebHamline, Minnesota’s first university, is a private liberal arts university set in the heart of the Twin Cities with programs for undergraduate and graduate students. Hamline University | …


2 posted on 12/27/2022 12:37:21 AM PST by dennisw ("You don't have to like it. You just have to do it")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

Anyone remember the “piss Christ” garbage on display at some art museum years ago? The freakin’ jar of urine withe cross inside?...and these heathen muzzies piss n moan over there own foolish momo?


3 posted on 12/27/2022 12:43:15 AM PST by mythenjoseph
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dennisw

If there wasn’t a specific written policy that precluded his inclusion of a public painting for his class I think he has a good case for wrongful termination.


4 posted on 12/27/2022 12:45:00 AM PST by neverevergiveup
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: grundle

There is no God named Allah and Mohammed was a false prophet! Allahu Fubar!


5 posted on 12/27/2022 1:07:39 AM PST by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle
I’m like, ‘this can’t be real,’” Wedatalla told the Oracle. “As a Muslim, and a black person, I don’t feel like I belong, and I don’t think I’ll ever belong in a community where they don’t value me as a member, and they don’t show the same respect that I show them.”

Pretend outrage, 100 percent.

And a lie. You're NOT showing "the same respect I show them" by banning instruction and getting the teacher fired. Far from it.

6 posted on 12/27/2022 1:07:49 AM PST by Lizavetta
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dennisw

That’s exactly what I was going to say.


7 posted on 12/27/2022 1:12:18 AM PST by real saxophonist (Hoplophobia will never be in the DSM, because the DSM is written by hoplophobes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: grundle
“I’m like, ‘this can’t be real,’” Wedatalla told the Oracle. “As a Muslim, and a black person, I don’t feel like I belong, and I don’t think I’ll ever belong in a community where they don’t value me as a member, and they don’t show the same respect that I show them.”

What in heck does being Black have to do with this?

Except to "up" her "woke" credentials?

Regards,

8 posted on 12/27/2022 1:12:28 AM PST by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverevergiveup

Damages might be limited though. “Non-tenure track” is becoming the rule rather than the exception.


9 posted on 12/27/2022 1:39:34 AM PST by scrabblehack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: grundle

Moslem extremists go to a school with “Ham” in its name. Now that’s a real case of “chutzpah”, Islamic extremist style.

And the Administers are now “Dhimmis” to Islamic supremacy and don’t care.

The “threat” of Islamc intolerance and conquest is continually on display all over the country.

We Jews had our traitorous KAPOS (Nazi helpers) during WW2. America now has its KAPOS for Islam.


10 posted on 12/27/2022 1:42:21 AM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper (Figures )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

I’ll be everyone, in the article, votes democrat


11 posted on 12/27/2022 1:48:15 AM PST by no-to-illegals (The enemy has US surrounded. May God have mercy on them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

Looks like it’s time to flood that school with pictures.


12 posted on 12/27/2022 3:06:40 AM PST by GreyHoundSailor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

How far the Methodists have fallen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamline_University


13 posted on 12/27/2022 3:15:08 AM PST by FarCenter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

“Hamline’s president and AVPIE sent a message to all employees stating that “respect for the observant Muslim students in that classroom should have superseded academic freedom.”


14 posted on 12/27/2022 3:15:18 AM PST by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

“Where’s FIRE, the ACLU and all the academic freedom people on this? Or do they only care when elementary school teachers are restricted from promoting sex and dangerous hormone treatments to first graders?”

The ALCU is scared to death of Islamic Radicals. They will never defend anyone against them for fear of being blown up or killed.


15 posted on 12/27/2022 3:15:46 AM PST by realcleanguy (quickly things are falling apart, now that the )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

No surprise that all the administrators involved are females.


16 posted on 12/27/2022 3:22:24 AM PST by montag813
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

It shouldn’t have happened to him, but how could someone working in the cesspool that universities have become not have known something like that would happen to him?


17 posted on 12/27/2022 3:27:24 AM PST by FreedomForce
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle
“I'm like, ‘this can't be real,’” Wedatalla told the Oracle. “As a Muslim, and a black person, I don't feel like I belong, and I don't think I'll ever belong in a community where they don't value me as a member, and they don't show the same respect that I show them.”

Apparently, Wedatalla believes forcing his beliefs on others is “showing them respect”. Shame on this school and shame on us for allowing our Country to tolerate this garbage.

18 posted on 12/27/2022 3:32:00 AM PST by liberalh8ter (The only difference between flash mob 'urban yutes' and U.S. politicians is the hoodies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

“respect for the observant Muslim students in that classroom should have superseded academic freedom”

You hear that, college students?


19 posted on 12/27/2022 3:33:02 AM PST by lowbridge ("Let’s check with Senator Schumer before we run it" - NY Times)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grundle

I’m here for the pics


20 posted on 12/27/2022 3:41:17 AM PST by Palio di Siena
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-53 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson