US university fires professor for displaying images of Prophet Muhammad in class

An American university has fired a member of its staff after they allegedly displayed pictures depicting the Prophet Muhammad in an online class, causing outrage among some of its Muslim students.

The incident, which dates back to October, took place at Hamline University, a liberal arts college in St. Paul, Minnesota, where an adjunct lecturer apparently showed medieval paintings depicting the Prophet Muhammad in an online class on global art history, reported the British website 5 Pillars on Wednesday.

The lecturer, whose name was not disclosed, shared two 14th and 16th century paintings depicting the Prophet.

Well done @HamlineU for taking a tough stance against Islamophobia. Outrageous for a teacher to provoke Muslim students like this. What a rare example of a Western academic institution behaving responsibly and taking into account the sensitivities of Muslim students. Bravo. https://t.co/3aQ7sWJ90n

— Roshan M Salih (@RmSalih) January 4, 2023

The first work was "a 14th-century depiction of the Prophet receiving his first revelation from the archangel Gabriel" by Rashid al-Din, while the second aws the "Prophet with a veil and halo", painted by Mustafa ibn Vali, 5 Pillars reported.

Prior to displaying the images, the lecturer reportedly issued a verbal and written warning regarding the content of the class, allowing students who felt uncomfortable with viewing the images to leave the classroom, according to Hamline's student paper, The Oracle.

Visual depictions of the Prophet Muhammad or any other prophet of Islam are considered to be prohibited by the vast majority of Muslim scholars.

The issue was subsequently raised by the president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), who attended the class.

Aram Wedatalla complained to the university's administration, saying that the lecturer's actions were "disrespectful and offensive" to Muslims.

"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," he told The Oracle.

One month later, the university did not renew the professor's contract, calling their actions "undeniably inconsiderate, disrespectful and Islamophobic".

The professor apologised to the MSA for making students "uncomfortable", stressing that they never "intended to disrespect the students in her class" in December.

Some academics at the university have criticised the board's decision and even issued a Change.org petition calling for the professor's contract to be reinstated.

The university's president, Fayneese Miller, said: "Respect for the observant Muslim students in that classroom should have superseded academic freedom".