The Muslim Association of Britain, a Muslim Brotherhood front-group, has warned a Nottting Hill art gallery to expect "a strong reaction from Muslims" for exhibiting painting which appears to show a Muslim woman cradling a pig.
Mokhtar Badri, MAB's vice-president told The Telegraph: “Although we condemn violence, Muslims have a right to express their disgust at this work” adding that the artist "clearly wants to provoke a strong reaction from Muslims and that is what she will get.”
Badri added that members of MAB planned to visited the SaLon gallery and demand that the painting by Sarah Maple is withdrawn from the exhibition. He said, “Muslims believe that all of God’s creatures should be treated with respect, but we are taught to keep our distance from pigs because they are unclean. That is why this picture is so offensive to us.”
But despite MAB's rhetoric, it is clear that not all Muslims find Maple's art to be "offensive". Indeed, the director of the SaLon gallery, Samir Ceric, is himself Muslim. He has said that he fled his homeland of Bosnia in 1992 during the country's civil war.
Sarah Maple was also brought up as a Muslim by her British father and her Kenyan-born mother. She has previously rejected accusations that her art deliberately insults the Islamic faith. Speaking to an art magazine recently, she said:
"I don’t think that I am criticizing the religion itself. I’m questioning the way some Muslims interpret the faith. I’m not saying we should all go and break the rules. I’m just saying that if you’re going to be a Muslim and pray every day, that doesn’t necessarily make you a good person."
Mokhtar Badri, MAB's vice-president told The Telegraph: “Although we condemn violence, Muslims have a right to express their disgust at this work” adding that the artist "clearly wants to provoke a strong reaction from Muslims and that is what she will get.”
Badri added that members of MAB planned to visited the SaLon gallery and demand that the painting by Sarah Maple is withdrawn from the exhibition. He said, “Muslims believe that all of God’s creatures should be treated with respect, but we are taught to keep our distance from pigs because they are unclean. That is why this picture is so offensive to us.”
But despite MAB's rhetoric, it is clear that not all Muslims find Maple's art to be "offensive". Indeed, the director of the SaLon gallery, Samir Ceric, is himself Muslim. He has said that he fled his homeland of Bosnia in 1992 during the country's civil war.
Sarah Maple was also brought up as a Muslim by her British father and her Kenyan-born mother. She has previously rejected accusations that her art deliberately insults the Islamic faith. Speaking to an art magazine recently, she said:
"I don’t think that I am criticizing the religion itself. I’m questioning the way some Muslims interpret the faith. I’m not saying we should all go and break the rules. I’m just saying that if you’re going to be a Muslim and pray every day, that doesn’t necessarily make you a good person."
Source: The Centre For Social Cohesion
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