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It's about a school's obligation to teach stuff.
In the FIRST place, there is no passage in the Q'ran which forbids images of The Prophet.
https://answering-islam.org/Muhammad/pictures.html
And the teacher gave AMPLE WARNING that the lecture would include images, so people who MISTAKENLY BELIEVE that their religion FORBIDS images, could stay out that day, rather than risk FEELING offended.
The news from HAMLINE Univerity:
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"Dr. Erika López Prater says she gave more than ample warning to students that they will be exposed to something some of them might find offensive or controversial: depictions of holy figures. In the class syllabus for a global arts history class she told students they will see depictions of the Prophet Muhammad and Buddha. On the day she showed the painting of Muhammad, she warned students minutes beforehand and gave anyone who might be offended ample opportunity to leave the classroom.
No one did.
Later, one of the students in attendance – who is also the president of the Muslim Student Association on campus – complained to school officials, arguing that showing the image at all was Islamophobic. Muslim students on campus (who were not in attendance in the classroom) backed the student up, and soon the administration informed Dr. López Prater that she was being let go and her contract would not be renewed. "
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What do you expect in a world where professors are fired for saying words that uneducated people believe are racial slurs? And, instead of actually *educating* these students---once the purpose of school---- as to the meaning and usage of these misunderstood words, the ignorant instead are confirmed and justified in their ignorance and the professors fired for no just cause. This is just one example of the insanity which pervades academia today.
Yep. You really don't want to know what I think about this one.
Oh man Mike you may have opened a big ole can of worms.
Okay, I'll play devil's advocate .... Oops,, as soon as she warned students about possible offensive material she attracted more attendees …..
Edited by - chuckv97 on 01/12/2023 14:10:37
When ONE PERSON files a complaint on behalf of "everybody", including people who weren't even there, AND on behalf of people who CHOSE to be there, but were NOT offended, and the teacher is fired....no matter WHAT the topic, that's just wrong.
I’m sure she’d want to go work at another University after this
Fatal flaw is to think all muslims follow the same written words or treat them as absolutes. Local Imams can override teachings too. All religeons have different versions of historical books. And history constantly changes them.
I know a lot of muslims. None of them think this way and most of them are no more muslim than the average christians are strict christians. They marry outside their religeon , etc.
But THAT muslim was president ... so of course more into it. Im sure that intelligent professor knew this could happen and made a choice. I also think the prof is mature enough to handle the ramifications.
The professor was a fool, why start controversy when you don’t have to, no reason to show a painting of Mohammed, no body knows he looked like anyway. He was fired for being stupid, maybe he plans a lawsuit. He teaches at a private university, so he has to be careful about whose toes he steps on. I remember when another professor was fired from a. Christian Academy for saying that the Christian and Moslem god was the same God,. Ideally teachers should be allowed to teach the truth, it’s just different groups have different ideas on what that truth is. Teachers have Academic Freedom to teach what want and the schools especially private schools have the freedom to fire them for it.
Edited by - Tommy5 on 01/12/2023 15:01:13
There's another issue here: while the only way for society to work is if we tolerate religious beliefs, there's no mandate or particular reason to respect them. There's a difference.
Why not start a controversy----in a classroom? Is that not the place for controversy? Is that not the place to be challenged with new ideas and concepts? Is that not the place to discover what all is out in the world, that there are different people with thinking and ways different from your own? Is there not purpose in that? Or is college to be an emotional refuge where nobody would ever say or show anything remotely disturbing, and that victimhood, real or imagined, trumps all? And just what would be the purpose of THAT?
Good discussion, but religion is necessarily intertwined, so it’s now locked.
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