Big Ass Gordita-toting Muslim students protest photo exhibit

The exhibit does sound cheesy, but if a college is unwilling to support the principles of free speech, we are in trouble.

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http://www.dailyherald.com/search/searchstory.asp?id=111643
Harper pulls photo exhibit upon Muslim protest
By Michael Puente
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Friday, October 28, 2005

An art exhibit that included photographs of nude Muslim women wearing only a head covering was taken down Thursday afternoon just hours after opening for public viewing at Harper College in Palatine.

Muslim students at the college protested to officials about the pieces on display in Building C.

Several students say the pieces — some showing young Muslim men with machine guns — were downright offensive.

“I think they should rip this down,” student Matt George said.

Another student, Hussein Ali, says a number of Muslim students at Harper now are thinking about leaving.

“The Muslim students are thinking about boycotting Harper because of this,” said Ali, 23, of Schaumburg.

Ahmad Basalat, 21, of Bartlett said the exhibit expressed hatred toward Muslims.

Rich Johnson, co-coordinator of international students at Harper, said the exhibit was an event put on in conjunction with the college’s art department.

The school invited Chicago photographer Amir Normandi to exhibit his works depicting Muslim women in Iran defying the wearing of the jilbab.

Johnson said he thought the exhibit would be an interesting topic because it deals with human rights.

Salma Habed, 20, of Hoffman Estates said some of the pieces continued with the stereotype that Muslim women are oppressed.

“We go to school. We have careers. It’s not like we’re oppressed like some people feel for some reason,” Habed said.

Before the opening of the exhibit, neither Johnson nor other Harper officials had an opportunity to view the images.

Johnson and school officials ordered the removal or covering of the images until further notice because of the uproar.

“It was not the show that we thought we were going to get,” Johnson said, adding that he stands by Normandi’s artistic freedom.

Johnson said the exhibit was to have been included as a part of other events dealing with human rights issues in Iran.

“We struck a reasonable compromise that we will temporarily cover the images,” Johnson said.

College spokesman Phil Burdick said he understands why the students are offended, but freedom of expression comes into play.

“This exhibit is not the type of artwork that the college endorses or advocates,” Burdick said. “If this exhibit offends the sensibilities of any person or ethnic group, we deeply apologize.”

Burdick said the school will convene a meeting with students, the two faculty members involved — including Johnson — the artist and the college staff.