Press Release: CAIR-Chicago Statement on Visual Depictions of the Prophet, Islamophobia, and Academic Freedom

(Chicago, IL, 1/13/2023) For almost thirty years, CAIR has been the leading US organization researching, analyzing, and combatting Islamophobia nationally and globally. Because Islamophobia is very real affecting millions in the US and around the world, we never use the word Islamophobia lightly. It is not a catch-all term for anything that our communities find offensive or immoral. Islam teaches fairness and justice for all people, which is why Muslims must be fair and just when we level accusations of Islamophobia. 

Four factors stand out for us in our assessment of instances of Islamophobia: content, intent, extent, and context. And based on this assessment, we have not seen any evidence that the conduct of the professor at Hamline University fits our definition of Islamophobia. Although we generally discourage showing visual depictions of the Prophet, we recognize that professors whose mere intent is to analyze historical paintings within the context of academic study are not the same as provocateurs who generate offensive drawings to cause harm and sow discord. 

Generally, visual depictions of the Prophet Muhammad (and all Prophets) are deemed sacrilegious for most Sunni Muslims for several reasons among them religious instruction and tradition. There is of course also a logic to this position that is helpful to understand. Firstly, no imagined depiction will be factual – all will be essentially made up and Muslims strive for as much authenticity and accuracy as possible in religious matters. Secondly, fascination with imagined appearances distracts from why these prophets matter to Muslims: not for their physical form, but for their values and moral legacies. 

Having said that, there were historical exceptions among Sunni Muslims, notably, early-Modern Turkic empires from Asia Minor to the subcontinent, in which we sometimes find visual reverential depictions that tended to minimize detail and highlight devotion. Reviewing such content in a museum, academic, or other settings within the context of studying the history of Islamic art is a reasonable exercise. In other words, while individual Muslims may reserve the right to disagree with these depictions, such material does not constitute Islamophobic content or intent, given the context. 

Academic freedom and honesty are important principles of the higher education system. Far too often, professors who teach inconvenient facts—from structural racism in America to the oppression of Palestinians—face censorship, condemnation, and even termination. This is wrong.  

We affirm the right of professors at colleges and universities to teach facts relevant to their areas of study. Schools also have the duty to exercise wisdom in determining how to address sensitive and disputed subjects, such as visual depictions of the Prophet. Any schools that ultimately choose to allow the display of such images for academic purposes should give students ample warning, a chance to express their concerns, and reasonable religious accommodations, as the professor at Hamline reportedly attempted to do further highlighting her good intent. 

We are confident that schools including Hamline University, whose good intent to protect its students is also noted, can find a way to respect the sincerely held religious beliefs of students while also treating faculty members fairly and protecting academic freedom. Academics should not be condemned as bigots without evidence, or lose their positions without justification. 

SEE: CAIR National’s Statement

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CAIR-Chicago is the Chicago Chapter of America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Our mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance. 

CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Executive Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Erin Davis, 773-802-8786, epdavis@cair.com;