All-American Muslim, a reality TV show we covered in 2011. Photo: TLC

It’s fitting to end Inside Islam where we started. When we first began the project, we focused heavily on Islam in popular culture and media. Our first shows and posts focused on Muslim youth and new media, videobloggers, and even fashion.

Our focus on cultural topics was deliberate. In our efforts to break down stereotypes about Islam, our strategy was to humanize Muslims by showing them engaged in activities non-Muslims could relate to. Popular culture has always cut across cultural and geographic borders, so we focused heavily on the medium.Our coverage of popular culture has not been limited to music and television. Of course we covered Muslim heavy metal bands, hip hop artists, folk music, punk rock artists, and Islamic MTV. We also wrote about television shows from around the world like All-American Muslim (and our response), reality shows in Indonesia, Halal-TV in Sweden, Turkish soap operas, and even spoof shows like The Qu’osby Show. We covered films like Mooz-lum, and documentaries like Pop Goes Islam, A Jihad for Love, and On a Wing and a Prayer.

One of our most popular topics was comedy. Over the years, we have written about Muslim American comedians, comedy and religion, and interfaith comedy troupes. And we have mused about the power of comedy to break down barriers and stereotypes.

We also took a stab at popular literature, covering graphic novels, comics, and political cartoons. And we looked at fashion, challenging the idea that faith and fashion are incompatible. We also posted on fashion as a form of religious expression and looked at the fashion of the hijab. We even wrote about Muslim hipsters.

And finally we looked at art and architecture. From temporary exhibits to museums, photographs to visual essays, we have talked about the relationship between art and Islam, and highlighted the artists who bridge the two.

So as Inside Islam comes to an end with this final post, it seems a fitting time to go back to where we started. Thanks for joining us for the ride!

Do you think popular culture has the ability to break down barriers and stereotypes, or does it just reinforce them? What sorts of popular culture do you think we missed? Please leave a question or comment below.

(The comments threads on Inside Islam will stay open for a couple of weeks. We still appreciate hearing from you and keeping the dialogues and debates going.)

Farah Pandith, a former radio guest on Inside Islam. Photo: www.state.gov

One of the most popular topics here on Inside Islam has been gender, primarily focusing on women. That’s no coincidence, given that Islam’s attitude towards women is generally portrayed in Western media as retrograde and repressive.

And there’s certainly plenty to criticize. Over our four years, we have highlighted cases like that of Amina Filali, a Moroccan girl who committed suicide after being forced to marry her rapist, and Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman sentenced to be stoned for adultery. We have also addressed issues such as domestic abuse and how key texts have been interpreted to discriminate against women, to ban women drivers, and to justify practices like child marriage.

But while our goal has never been to whitewash problematic issues, at the same time the standard mainstream rhetoric regarding Muslim women oversimplifies things and only further disempowers them. There has been a general inability to look beyond the veil when discussing Muslim women. Non-Muslim women or men who preach to Muslim women because they choose to cover their heads or accept certain circumstances tend to fall into the trap of portraying all Muslim women as a single entity without agency. They miss the movement within Islam itself to empower women.

Over the years we have focused on many empowered and important Muslim women. From historically important figures like Khadijah, Ayesha, and Sumayyah bint Khayyat to contemporaries like Farah Pandith, we have tried to get beyond the stereotype of the faceless, powerless Muslim woman. We have given Muslim women a platform to speak for themselves and express themselves through writing. We have chronicled their stories, learned from what they have to say about sex and relationships, and highlighted their efforts to stand up to existing political and religious power structures.

While covering gender and Islam, we have stressed movements within Islam to change the status quo, focusing on women fighting for equal access to spaces like mosques, speaking up against human rights abuses, leading the crusade against FGM, and organizing for equal property rights. We have also covered women breaking out of their societal roles, playing soccer in Iran, standing up to militants in Yemen, and taking on traditionally male roles such as that of an imam.

And finally, to overcome stereotypes of Islam as inherently discriminatory, we have argued that the Qur’an espouses gender equality, and Muhammad himself was an exemplar of how to treat women.

And to clear any further misgivings about whether Islam and feminism are compatible, I turn to our readers (many of whom are Muslim). In a poll we conducted on the compatibility of Islam and feminism, only 18% of our 114 respondents said they were not. 72%, on the other hand, said they were.

Clearly there’s a lot more to Muslim women than the media gives them credit for.

How do you think Muslim women are generally portrayed in the media? Is there enough emphasis on strong Muslim women? Do you think Islam and feminism are compatible? Please leave your questions or comments below.

The Islamic Center is Murfreesboro, TN. Photo: tennessean.com

The Islamic Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is in the news again. The last time Inside Islam covered the center, it had been delayed on a procedural technicality. Most recently, a federal judge overruled that decision, and the center is expected to open sometime this month, hopefully in time for Eid ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan.

This development gives us an opportunity to reflect on similar stories that we have covered over the years. Rather than an isolated case of pushback against Islam, the Murfreesboro debate is just one example of attempts to ban or otherwise stifle expressions of faith. As I went through the Inside Islam archives, it really struck me what a monumental torrent of hate and Islamophobia Muslims are up against.

First, there have been numerous efforts to ban Islamic social and religious spaces. In addition to the Murfreesboro mosque mentioned above, there were also efforts to ban Cordoba House in New York and minarets in Switzerland. Then there have been efforts to ban cultural and religious practices like the wearing of burqas in France and Belgium, the consumption of halal meat, and circumcision. There was even an effort to ban a Muslim TV show that aimed to portray Muslim Americans as regular Americans (as opposed to America-hating, jihadi terrorists).

In addition to external bans that affect Muslims, it is important to highlight efforts by those within the Muslim community to ban practices like text message divorce, FGM, discriminatory laws against women, child marriage, and hitting wives. There have also been efforts within the Islamic community to ban sex manuals, niqabs, and certain types of music. These efforts demonstrate the diversity of opinions and activism within Islam itself, which so often get forgotten in debates that portray Islam as a monolith.

External bans such as then ones highlighted above come out of fear of the unknown and a lack of understanding about Islam. Hopefully efforts such as Inside Islam will help change that.

Do you see Islam as having to fight an uphill public opinion battle worldwide? What motivates bans on burqas, halal foods, and mosques? What can we do to ameliorate some of the fear associated with Islam? We welcome your questions and comments below.

Ramadan Kareem to all our readers! Photo: desertpeace.wordpress.com

Ramadan starts tomorrow, and for the next month, Muslims around the world will be fasting, feasting, and celebrating. Ramadan is also a deeply reflective time as Muslims worldwide count their blessings and develop spiritually.

We have covered Ramadan from various perspectives over the years, and as Inside Islam heads towards a close, it’s a good time to recap some of what we’ve discussed. In fact, Inside Islam is historically linked to Ramadan, as our first very radio show was held during Ramadan, on September 19, 2008.

So here’s a rundown of our coverage of Ramadan over the years.

The basics: Some of our earliest posts about Ramadan cover basic information about the fast, the food, and the celebration at the end of the month, Eid ul-Fitr. We also discussed the strong link between Ramadan and the Qur’an, which is divided into 30 chapters (one for every day of the month).

The important events: Ramadan is an important month for multiple reasons, one of which is the number of significant events that occurred during this time. These include the Night of Power and the Battle of Badr. And although the Prophet Muhammad did not die during Ramadan, his last Ramadan was significant on various levels.

The spirituality: Although Ramadan comes with physical demands like fasting and abstaining, we have also attempted to go beyond the fast, looking at the spiritual import of the month.

The global: True to Inside Islam’s mission, we have looked at Ramadan in a global context, discussing how fasting and feasting occur across the world, observing Ramadan in India, and reflecting on President Obama’s annual Ramadan wishes to Muslims around the world. We also wrote about those who travel during Ramadan, like the filmmakers who visited 30 mosques in 30 days and the Muslim athletes traveling to participate in the Olympic Games in London this year. And since globalization is often accompanied by commercialization, we also addressed the commercialization of the month.

We hope you enjoy revisiting our coverage of Ramadan from over the last four years. Ramadan Kareem to all our readers!

What does the month of Ramadan mean to you? Are there aspects of Ramadan you think we’ve left out? What would you have liked to see us cover? Please leave your comments below.

Praying in the streets was banned in France in 2011. Photo: Bbc.co.uk

A recent article in National Geographic speculates that Marseilles may become the first city in Europe with a majority Muslim population. Official statistics are unavailable, but experts estimate that about 30 percent of the southeastern French city is Muslim.

Although the city is known for its tolerance, France as a whole is not, especially when it comes to its Muslim population. The country is home to about 6 million Muslims (the largest number in Western Europe), and is known for its bans on burqas, niqab, and for considering banning halal meat. Praying in the streets was also banned in 2011. At the end of 2011, the French Council of the Muslim Faith, an umbrella organization for various Muslim groups, released a study saying Islamophobia is on the rise in the country.

I spoke with John Bowen, Professor of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis about Islam in France. Bowen is the author of Can Islam be French? Pluralism and Pragmatism in a Secularist State.

First, Bowen told me that Islamophobia in France has unique historical roots. The concept of laïcité, or separation between Church and State, is deeply engrained in political consciousness.

You have to understand the combative nature of France’s relationship with the Church. The modern French Republic was forged in opposition to the Church and religion. The best way to think of French culture is this: the French are against visible religion. They want to keep the public space free of visible religion.

From the French perspective, Islamic traditions, including the wearing of headscarves, veils, and other coverings, violates the separation of religion and public space.

But Bowen also said that the separation of religion and government is far from perfect.

The French States gives aid to the Catholic Church. All private Catholic schools that teach the national curriculum are subsidized by the State. Muslims who have been trying to create private, religious state schools have had a hard time getting similar funding. One only effort so far has succeeded.

Bowen added that although Muslim culture in France tends to be portrayed as antithetical to French values, local Muslims are actually adapting their religious traditions and cultures to the French context.

Instead of relying on media reports and political statements, Bowen spent a significant amount of time in French mosques, Islamic institutions, and institutions of higher education, listening to discourses within the Muslim community on “how to be both a good Muslim and a good citizen in a modern secular society.”

Within the Muslim community, there are frequent debates about the extent to which one can change traditional practices. A lot of Muslims have no trouble with French system of secularism, but they want it to be applied equally to everyone.

The problem underlying Islam’s unequal treatment in France is that politicians have seized on Islam as a way to garner votes. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, for example, made the issue of halal meat central to his reelection campaign in order to garner votes from the right.

What stands out in France is that everything has to be at a national level. This can be good if national leaders can find solutions to problems when they crop up, but it’s bad in moments of national elections.

So at this point, it seems that France has two models before it: the Marseilles model of relative tolerance and integration and its unevenly applied laïcité model that has systematically discriminated against Muslims.

If Marseilles does end up being the first Muslim-majority city in Western Europe, it will play an integral role in determining the relationship between Islam and the State.

What do you think of France’s laïcité model? Do you think it has been equally applied to all religions? Do you see French politicians using Islam as a political pawn to garner votes? How will being the first Muslim-majority city in Western Europe affect Marseilles and France as a whole? We welcome your questions and comments below.

Photo: thegrindstone.com

On Wednesday I attended a talk by former Wisconsin senator Russ Feingold on the role the interfaith community plays in the labor movement. Although the talk was organized by the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice, no one I spoke to (including Feingold) was able to give me an Islamic perspective on labor and worker’s rights. So I decided to look it up myself.

I found two wonderful papers, one by Adnan Zulfiqar and another by Radwa Elsaman, that explain what the Qur’an and sharia law say about labor-related issues. Unsurprisingly, they reveal an astonishingly modern conception of worker’s right.

For one thing, Islam sees the relationship between employers and employees as a “brotherhood.” It is not a paternalistic relationship nor a patron-client relationship, but one of equals where each has responsibilities to the other. The Prophet Muhammad reportedly said:

Your employees are your brothers upon whom Allah has given you authority, so if a Muslim has another person under his control, he/she should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like of what one wears and you should not overburden them with what they cannot bear and if you do so, help them in their jobs.

In return, employees must provide employers with hard work, diligence, and honesty.

Muhammad was also very clear that workers must be paid wages on time, and the wages must be fair. He reportedly said that employees must be paid before their “sweat dries.” Zulfiqar says:

Islamic juristic discourses suggest that [wages] should be “at least at a level that would enable employees to fulfill all their and their families’ essential needs in a humane manner.”

Sharia law also places strict restrictions on child labor and insists that employers respect their employees’ religious beliefs, regardless of their faith. The law and the Qur’an also require that workers be offered adequate sick leave and compensation. And, as we have discussed before, Islam clearly forbids human trafficking, which involves people being bought and sold for labor.

These attitudes towards labor and worker’s rights have been adapted to policy prescriptions in many majority-Muslim countries. For example, Egyptian labor law decrees that female employees be entitled to 90 days of paid maternity leave. Women are also guaranteed two breastfeeding breaks every day for up to two years after childbirth. And all workplaces that employ at least 100 women must provide childcare.

Similar principles are enshrined in the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, passed by members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1990, based on sharia principles. The declaration reads:

[All workers] shall be entitled – without any discrimination between males and females – to fair wages for his work without delay, as well as to the holidays allowances and promotions which he deserves. On his part, he shall be required to be dedicated and meticulous in his work.

Similarly, the League of Arab States’ Arab Charter on Human Rights reads:

The right to work is a natural right of every citizen. The State shall endeavor to provide, to the extent possible, a job for the largest number of those willing to work, while ensuring production, the freedom to choose one’s work and equality of opportunity without discrimination of any kind on grounds of race, colour, sex, religion, language, political opinion, membership in a union, national origin, social origin, disability or any other situation.

However, I don’t want to gloss over the fact that some countries, particularly in the Middle East, are notorious for their poor working conditions for immigrant workers. But it should be noted that such exploitation is often the result of individual recruitment and employment agencies, rather than national policies. And Human Rights Watch reports that even in these countries, working conditions are improving.

Overall it seems pretty clear that Islamic doctrine promotes and protects worker’s rights. We hear a lot about the important role Christian and Jewish groups in international labor movements. It’s about time Muslims were recognized as well.

Do you see a connection between Islam and labor rights? Where does Islam stand on the issue of labor unions? Do you see working conditions improving for immigrant workers in the Middle East? Please leave your comments below.

Google search predictions for the phrase "Is Islam compatible with..."

In comparison, when I type, “Is Christianity compatible with,” I get evolution, capitalism, yoga, and free masonry. Hinduism gets only one prediction: Christianity. Buddhism gets science, Christianity, atheism, and Judaism. Incidentally, there are no predictions for “Is Judaism compatible with.”

When Google predicts the end of your search, they’re looking for results based on what others before have searched for frequently. So although the exercise is admittedly trite, the message could not be clearer. People (or at least people who use Google) question Islam’s compatibility with fundamental political ideologies (democracy, modernity, secularism) much more regularly than they do other religions.

And it’s not just average Google users. You can’t open newspapers these days without seeing Islam classified as a monolith. Even papers such The New York Times ask questions like “Can Islamists Be Liberals?”

This does not come as a surprise. Muslim scholars like Tariq Ramadan have had to dedicate their careers to battling the idea that Islam and “Western” values like democracy and secularism are incompatible. Others like Haroon Siddiqui and Soumaya Ghannoushi have done the same. American Muslims continually have to fend off arguments from those who use sharia as a buzzword to prove that Islam and American values are incompatible.

But we don’t often hear arguments that majority Catholic countries like Ireland and Poland can’t be democratic because the Church is hierarchically organized. And even when we do hear of disastrous events in non-Muslim majority countries, entire religions are not held responsible. When Hindus massacre Muslims or Christians in India, for example, there’s no serious consideration of the possibility that Hinduism is inherently violent.

Essentializing Islam is a key part of an effort to “other” Muslims. After all, to define an us-versus-them dichotomy, it is necessary to have an impression (however false) of who the “other” is. And such an approach leaves very little room for complexity.

I don’t mean to undermine serious questions about how, why, and when ideologies clash, but perhaps the biggest problem with the way Islam has been approached is that, as Ghannoushi says, it essentializes everyone involved. It treats Islam and Muslims as a monolith, but does the same for democracy, liberalism, secularism, and the other terms people have been searching on Google.

As Inside Islam heads towards a close, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of our mission to “challenge misconceptions and stereotypical perceptions about Islam and Muslims worldwide.” And I’ve come to realize that perhaps the most important thing we can do (and hopefully have done) is challenge the idea that Islam is a monolith—that the religion is one set of ideas interpreted the same way by all adherents, and that all Muslims, everywhere are the same.

We have written about Sufis, Shias, and Sunnis, covered topics from Eco-Islam to Islamic heavy metal bands, addressed issues of sharia, hitting wives, and female circumcision. And to further break down the stereotype of Islam as a homogeneous, isolated religion, we’ve reported extensively on Islam in conversation with other faiths.

In our very last Inside Islam radio show, Reza Aslan commented on our obsession with asking whether Islam is compatible with various ideologies. “It’s sort of silly,” was his bottom line.

I couldn’t agree more.

Do you agree that much of the rhetoric around Islam deals with issues of compatibility? If so, why do you think there is such an obsession with the question? Do you think there is a value to working through questions of potentially clashing ideologies, or do you think such discussions are too reductionist? Please leave your thoughts and comments below.

An upcoming mosque in Cologne. Photo: The Guardian, UK

We have written about female circumcision and the difference between circumcision and female genital mutilation here on Inside Islam, but male circumcision, a common practice in Muslim communities, has not been discussed. Many other groups also circumcise male children for both religious and non-religious reasons. The World Health Organization estimates that about a third of men internationally are circumcised. Around 70% of them are Muslims.

But on Tuesday, a German court in Cologne condemned the practice of circumcising boys, saying that it violates a “fundamental right to bodily integrity.”

Although the ruling does not constitute an outright ban, it will certainly discourage doctors from performing the procedure for fear of prosecution. The court ruled that bodily rights trump religious rights, saying that Jewish and Muslim men who want to follow their religions can make the choice to get circumcised later in life. However, it did not specify at what age boys would be able to make that decision.

According to the court ruling:

The fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighs the fundamental rights of the parents. The child’s body is permanently and irreparably changed by the circumcision. This change runs counter to the interests of the child, who can decide his religious affiliation himself later in life.

The ruling comes out of a case involving a 4-year-old Muslim boy whose circumcision led to medical complications. Although the doctor was charged with “grievous bodily harm,” he was acquitted, and the judge came down against the parents’ right to decide to have their child circumcised.

The ruling is also significant because, although Germany has a law banning female circumcision, it does not have one banning male circumcision. In fact, women’s groups in Germany are critical of the ruling because they believe it will put male circumcision on the same footing as female circumcision. Katrin Altpeter, social minister in the state of Baden-Württemberg, told The Guardian, that the two are incomparable, as female circumcision is a more “drastic act.”

There are about 4 million Muslims and 120,000 Jews in Germany, but as of now, only those in Cologne will be affected. Many prominent Germans, including foreign minister Guido Westerwelle have been critical of the ruling. He said:

Germany is an open-minded, tolerant country where religious freedom is firmly established and religious traditions like circumcision are considered an expression of religious pluralism.

Jewish, Muslim, and Christian groups have all criticized the ruling, saying it infringes on religious freedoms. Germany’s two main Christian churches and the Central Council of Jews issued statements condemning the ruling. The Central Council of Muslims also released a statement saying that the ruling constitutes an “inadmissible interference” in the rights of parents. The statement reads:

Freedom of religion is highly valued in our constitution and cannot be the play-thing of a one-dimensional case law which, furthermore, consolidates existing prejudices and stereotypes.

Even the United Nations’ special rapporteur on religious freedom, Heiner Bielefeldt, weighed in on the issue, calling the ruling “nonsense.”

Many groups advocating for a separation of religion and public life have hailed the ruling as a victory, however. One called circumcision “religiously motivated violence against children.”

But others have argued that male circumcision does not constitute violence, and in fact, the World Health Organization even recommends male circumcision in certain countries. Since the basis of the ruling relies on the assertion that the practice of circumcision represents bodily harm, religious and other groups have dismissed the ruling as baseless.

The situation brings up several questions. First, does male circumcision constitute bodily harm? Perhaps more fundamentally, should parents be allowed to make the decision to circumcise their children?

At this point the implications of the ruling are still unclear. The court did not ban the practice, and its jurisdiction only extends to Cologne. But critics say the intention is to set a precedent for other courts, setting personal rights above religious rights.

What do you think about the court’s ruling? Does male circumcision constitute bodily harm? Is the ruling an effort to stifle religious rights, or is the court correct to argue that circumcision should not be carried out without consent? Do you think the ruling will have significant consequences? Please leave your thoughts and comments below.

Friday prayers interpreted in British sign language. Photo: Muslim Deaf UK

The call to prayer, issued five times in day in cities across the globe, is one of the most beautiful, spiritually uplifting sounds, regardless of whether one is Muslim or not. The sound even inspired Irish Catholic actor Liam Neeson to consider converting to Islam. He describes the sound as “the most beautiful, beautiful thing.”

But many Muslims around the world will never hear the beauty of the call. Although there is no official estimate of the number of deaf Muslims, the World Health Organization estimates that about 275 million people worldwide (Muslim and non-Muslim) have moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears.

While a lack of resources to support the deaf is certainly not limited to Islam, in a religion where sound is so important (think about the call to prayer or the recitation of the Qur’an), deaf Muslims often find themselves without the resources to fully engage with the religion. Valerie Shirley, the mother of a deaf child says that her son often feels socially excluded, as sign language interpreters are rarely available at jummah prayer, Islamic conferences, Eid prayer, or Muslim student organization meetings. She says:

Imagine being at a community gathering with your family. The gathering lasts for hours. Everyone is laughing, clapping and seemingly enjoying themselves, but you have no idea what’s going on. You are isolated, despite the fact that you are in a room full of family and friends. This is the reality for many deaf people, including deaf Muslims.

According to Global Deaf Muslim (GDM), a non-profit organization that addresses the needs and rights of deaf Muslims around the world, “information about Islam is seldom available in sign language making it difficult to educate deaf Muslims about Islam and for individuals to conduct their own research.”

But the organization and others like Muslim Deaf UK are working to create resources for deaf Muslims. GDM has a video section with various jummah prayer sessions and works with Muslim organizations to increase interpreters in mosques around the country. They aim to establish uniform hand signs for key words and concepts in Islam, create sign language video narrations of the Qur’an, and support parents with deaf children. Muslim Deaf UK also provides a number of instructional videos.

GDM makes it very clear they are looking to empower the deaf, not to garner sympathy. Nashiru Abdulai, founder and president of the organization says:

Deaf Muslims don’t want pity, don’t pity us, work with us, we need hearing Muslims to interact with deaf Muslims, learn sign language, become interpreters.

Appeals like Abdulai’s have had some success in mobilizing the Muslim community to support the deaf. Ashia Ahmed, a sign language instructor in New Jersey, for example, has taken it upon herself to sign the call to prayer to catch the eye of passing deaf Muslims. She has also trained others to help out.

While their grassroots efforts are certainly having an impact, there needs to be more attention paid to accommodations that would help deaf Muslims engage with the religion. After all, the Qur’an has been translated into virtually every language. Shouldn’t sign language be next?

Do you think there are enough resources for deaf Muslims to engage with the religion and community? Do you have any suggestions for resources for deaf Muslims? Do you think deaf Muslims are at a particular disadvantage because of the importance of sound and word in Islam? We welcome your thoughts and comments below.

Hatemi speaks to visitors about his work at a recent gallery opening. Photo: Haydarhatemi.com

The state of Kentucky has a strong tradition of political conservatism and also, unfortunately, a long history of bigotry. Although this means that it has become one of the more hostile places for Muslims in the US, this Islamophobic atmosphere hasn’t stopped Iranian-born artist Haydar Hatemi from creating art in his Lexington basement studio that builds bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Hatemi's Arch of Noah painting. Photo: Haydarhatemi.com

Following a two-year study of four sacred texts—the Avesta, the Torah, the Qur’an, and the Bible—Hatemi created a number of paintings as part of an exhibit entitled Stories of the Messengers. In response to the ignorance and hatred toward Muslims after September 11th, Hatemi saw the common messages within faith traditions as an obvious starting point for education and dialogue, and his brilliant pieces, painted in the classical Persian miniature style, as the non-verbal conversation starters.

Stories of the Messengers has been shown in Kentucky, Virginia, and other states across the country and has served as a reminder of the commonalities among religions for visitors. In an interview with Inside Islam, Hatemi said that he picked religious events that are commonly recognized among two or more faith traditions. Some of the paintings in the exhibit include: Adam and Eve, Arch of Noah, King Solomon‘s Treasures, and Birth of Jesus. Under each painting, Hatemi has placed the commonalities among religious texts that speak of that specific belief or event.

Hatemi’s son, Lachin, a physician, and the head of his father’s outreach programs, explains:

A lot of people when they read all of them [quotes from religious texts] side-by-side, they begin to understand. … It’s kind of an incredible reaction. … [most people] They talk about their own books, but they don’t read about the other ones. … But when they’re exposed to such things, they take it very well.

The inspiration for an interfaith focus came out of Hatemi’s re-reading of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi’s 13th century sufi poetic masterpiece, Masnavi. The universal beauty of peace emphasized in many of Masnavi’s 25,000 verses sparked Hatemi’s attention toward the powerful potential of interfaith dialogue.

The verse that struck Hatemi most and served as the foundation for the project was one of Rumi’s most famous quotes:

I hold to no religion or creed, am neither Eastern nor Western, Muslim or infidel, Zoroastrian, Christian, Jew or Gentile. I come from neither the land nor sea, am not related to those above or below, was not born nearby or far away, do not live either in Paradise or on this Earth, claim descent not from Adam and Eve or the Angels above. I transcend body and soul. My home is beyond place and name. It is with the Beloved, in a space beyond space. I embrace all and am part of all.

Hatemi's signature miniatures painted on ostrich eggs. Photo: Haydarhatemi.com

Rumi’s words are commonly spoken in Hatemi’s native Iran during shab-e she’r, or the night of poetry, a non-religious community gathering where poetry is shared among the young and old and an important Persian tradition for all faith traditions, including Islam. It was this kind of multicultural experience early in Hatemi’s life that influenced his interest in highlighting universalism in his paintings.

At 15, Hatemi left his Azerbaijani village in Iran for the renowned Tabriz School of Art. He went on to the Fine Arts Academy at Tehran University and eventually landed in Istanbul where he learned to experiment with both eastern and western forms of art. Known as the “Istanbul Painter,” Hatemi’s pieces are often a blend of many his influences: Persian and Ottoman, Eastern and Western, Iranian, Turkish, and American.

Often cited as the only remaining painter of the Ottoman style, Hatemi’s abilities are sought after around the globe. He has painted a number of pieces for top dignitaries, including the Sheikh of Qatar, whose personal collection of Hatemi’s art will become the centerpieces of a future palace museum.

Hatemi’s latest exhibit features a number of pieces capturing scenes from Ottoman Istanbul and reminds viewers of the import role the city played for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. During a recent gallery opening in New York, Professor Mustafa Gokcek spoke of how many Jewish families escaped the Spanish inquisition and lived in Istanbul under the protection of the Muslim-majority Ottoman empire for centuries. Hatemi told Inside Islam that the peaceful coexistence during the Ottoman empire was another motivation for sharing his latest paintings with Americans of all faith traditions. He sees his art work as valuable in itself, but wants to reach out to non-Muslim American through his paintings amid what he sees as an unnecessary tension between Iran and the U.S.

What do you think about Hatemi’s work? Are gallery exhibits with an interfaith focus all for show, or do they have a real impact on how people view different religions and cultures? Please leave your comments below.