Anti-Prophet Gallery Worries Sweden
A planned exhibition mocking Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) by a Swedish “artist” known for his anti-Muslim views is sparking deep worries in Sweden.
"(Lars) Vilks is increasingly associated in people's minds with xenophobic groups at the far right of the political spectrum,” Ilmar Reepalu, Mayor of Malmo said.
“I hope not a single person visits the gallery."
Vilks is planning a series of paintings about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at an exhibition in the southern city of Malmo in July.
The planned gallery has promoted calls for representatives of different religions to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the exhibition.
Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also sparked an international crisis in 2005, when a Danish daily published 12 drawings of a man said to be the prophet.
The cartoons were later reprinted by European newspapers on claims of freedom of expression, straining ties between the Muslim world and the West.
Following the cartoons crisis, Muslims worldwide took many initiatives to remove widely circulated stereotypes about Islam in the West.
Observers and officials are worried that the blasphemous gallery would trigger violence in the country.
“I urge everyone to avoid violence in their demonstrations, because then the cause will be lost,” said Björn Lagerbäck of the municipal anti-discrimination project Dialogforum.
Mayor Reepalu is also worried. "Of course he has the right to display what he calls art anywhere he wants," he said.
"But as far as I can gather, this is pretty bad art and I think they want to use the gallery for political ends.”
Muslims make up between 450,000 and 500,000 of Sweden’s nine million people.
Source: On Islam
“I hope not a single person visits the gallery."
Vilks is planning a series of paintings about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at an exhibition in the southern city of Malmo in July.
The planned gallery has promoted calls for representatives of different religions to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the exhibition.
Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also sparked an international crisis in 2005, when a Danish daily published 12 drawings of a man said to be the prophet.
The cartoons were later reprinted by European newspapers on claims of freedom of expression, straining ties between the Muslim world and the West.
Following the cartoons crisis, Muslims worldwide took many initiatives to remove widely circulated stereotypes about Islam in the West.
Observers and officials are worried that the blasphemous gallery would trigger violence in the country.
“I urge everyone to avoid violence in their demonstrations, because then the cause will be lost,” said Björn Lagerbäck of the municipal anti-discrimination project Dialogforum.
Mayor Reepalu is also worried. "Of course he has the right to display what he calls art anywhere he wants," he said.
"But as far as I can gather, this is pretty bad art and I think they want to use the gallery for political ends.”
Muslims make up between 450,000 and 500,000 of Sweden’s nine million people.
Source: On Islam
