I received this email today from Kåre Bluitgen, the Danish author who wrote a biography of Muhammad in 2005, and then went in search of an illustrator for it. No one would dare, so finally the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten saw the artists’ fear as an attack on the freedom of speech, and published a group of cartoons of Muhammad, all of which were innocuous and some mildly satirical. In response, Muslims rioted and killed, and fulminated against the freedom of speech. The international media obediently fell into lockstep, refusing to republish the cartoons, as they should have done to show respect for the freedom of speech. Instead, they declared that they would not do so, out of “respect” for Islam that was really fear of being targeted in a jihad terror attack.
Instead of standing up for the freedom of speech and rejecting violent intimidation, the media kowtowed to that intimidation, thereby only encouraging more.
Now Kåre Bluitgen is again looking for an illustrator. But in this age of cowardice, is he likely to find any takers? Here is his email:
In an advertisement and essays in Scandinavian papers and internet medias, I have unsuccessfully tried to find an illustrator for my forthcoming book, The Children’s Picture Quran. It was my biography of the Prophet Muhammad (Koranen og Profeten Muhammeds liv) which, in 2005, triggered the worldwide Muhammad crisis. The Muhammed crisis became, at least in Denmark, extremely important and is seen as the biggest foreign policy crisis since the Second World War.
However, my call for artists to create illustrations for a rewritten Quran has achieved no response in Scandinavia. Therefore, I hope that you will spread my message even further, so that the world will experience the first illustrated Quran. I attach an English translation of the text published in Scandinavia.
Best regards
Kåre Bluitgen
Illustrator wanted
Why has the world history of art never produced a version of the Quran with glorious images of God and the prophets? The ban on images in Islam led to global riots in the so-called Muhammad cartoons crisis in 2005-6 – a crisis that emanated from my illustrated biography of the Prophet Muhammad (Koranen og Profeten Muhammeds liv). However there is no prohibition in the Quran against depicting either God or prophets. There is too much ignorance regarding Islam. Some two hundred years after the Quran was revealed to Muhammad the expanding Islamic world needed answers to many questions which there were no answers for in the Quran. Then the exegetes turned to the hadiths, the sayings of what Muhammad was supposed to have said and done in concrete situations. Among many thousands a few mentions Muhammad’s resistance to imagery. A few hadiths are very hateful towards the illustrators. They will be the hardest punished in Hell. There are also no examples of depictions of God in the Islamic world, nor of an illustrated Quran. The lack of depictions is hardly out of fear of Hell’s fire, but rather the result of the rising pressure upon people criticizing religion. The secular democracy is challenged by increasingly warlike demands not to violate religious feelings and demands not to interfere with others interpretations, practices and taboos in their religion. But it is precisely this interpersonal exchange of views that bring us together on an increasingly informed basis. The art has penetrated everywhere, but there is one last white spot on the world’s art map: A Children’s Picture Quran. An easy reader edition with glorious images of God and the prophets, of the speaking ants and the Jews turned into apes. It is time for me to call for an illustrator, who, in an enriching manner, will illustrate my coming Quran. Both Muslim and non-Muslim children deserve this opportunity to converse on the most controversial book of their time. And for the last white spot on the world’s art map to be conquered.
Krishna says
Good luck muslims can’t tolerate just for drawing images of mohammad imagine how would they respond to book quran containing entirely cartoons
J D S says
How can one draw a picture of someone that never really existed?
The perfect man, muhammad, made up buy a bunch of ignorant Satan driven people who wanted to take over the world with no thought of humanity.
nicu says
I always wonder why the Salafis keep telling us that they look like Muhammad when nobody ever seen him cos you may not portray him
Cthulhu says
Don’t look for just one illustrator. Just tell us what type of illustrations you need and let people send you their creations. You can make it a collective work, with different types of illustrations – very elaborate and artistic and quite simple, funny and serious, and so on. Just write for example: “Muhammad eating a hot dog” and wait for response from all over the world.
Mari For says
Haha. Or caressing a pig lol
Leon Degney says
Fondling a goat even.
blitz2b says
I like the idea of multiple artists for more than one reason. Variety of styles, techniques and mediums. No bull’s eye painted on a single individual and an invitation to artists to abandon fear of depicting images sacred to any and all religions with no exceptions.
mariam rove says
Best of luck with this one. M
Emilie Green says
He’s probably in danger for simply looking for an illustrator to do such images.
DLL says
I wish I could draw!
Berengaria says
I believe it is time for the Evil Muslim Allah & the Evil Muslim Muhammad to be “OUTED”. Since GW Bush described Islam as the “Religion of Peace” & GW is a Self-Described “Artist”, Perhaps, GW could be coaxed into drawing Portraits of the Founders of the Religion of Peace. Just an Idea from a Christian, who is sick of the Cult of Darkness, so please shine some light on it’s Founders. DRAWINGS PLEASE!
Sergio redegalli says
Hi Robert.
Dad and l would both be happy to help out on this project.
The images would be hand drawn and then water coloured in that other people could even do.
Any chance of getting a story line or part storyline so we could draw up a sample.
Regards
Sergio
Flavius Claudius Iulianus says
Before you sign up for this look up the story of Molly Norris.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Draw_Mohammed_Day
Michael Copeland says
Courageous Sergio Redegalli is well acquainted with Islamic intolerance. His murals in Australia are persistently defaced by muslims. He keeps drawing and painting.
LR says
“Courageous Sergio Redegalli is well acquainted with Islamic intolerance. His murals in Australia are persistently defaced by muslims. He keeps drawing and painting.”..
Oh, wow! Good on You Sergio…..Stay safe! We need you! May all the good spirits protect you! …I will check out your artwork!….
gravenimage says
Glad to see you posting! I love your work.
Indiana Tom says
However, my call for artists to create illustrations for a rewritten Quran has achieved no response in Scandinavia.
If they let me re-write the Quran and illustrate it, I might be game. Of course the illustrations and storyline might look like something from Terrance and Phillip on South Park.
Lu says
“Why has the world history of art never produced a version of the Quran with glorious images of God and the prophets? ”
Maybe because the artistic aspirations of the West were focused on portraying other themes, events and people whereas some backward, violent, deviant and supremacist ideologies were left out intentionally; there is so much beauty in the world without them!
milo says
So where do we submit our sample illustrations? I’m planning on being in Europe this late Summer/early Autumn.
mortimer says
Kåre Bluitgen is touching the two main TOTEMS of Islam.
(Fetish = an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency).
If it shown that either the Koran or Mohammed are not ‘MAGICAL’, then Islam falls.
Neither MOHAMMED nor the KORAN may be discussed in a manner that implies or suggests that they are NOT ‘MAGICAL’
PICTURES imply that Mohammed is not ‘MAGICAL’.
Rarely says
Perhaps the reason that islam banned pictures of allah and mohammed is that neither existed.
Jennifer says
The reason images are banned in Islam is because religious images are taboo in Judaism and Christianity, according to the Torah Commandment: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Exodus 20:4
Rarely says
I was being facetious.
Interesting Old Testament reference. Curious why pre-Renaissance art was very heavily
“Madonna and Child”.
KJW says
There are Ottoman period paintings of Muhammad-one of him praying at the Ka’aba but there is a white cloth over his face and he’s wearing a robe. Movies about Muhammad have been made by Muslims too. In Iran by famous director Majid Majidi and one Adnan Kashoggi (wealthy Saudi) finances in the early 80s here in the US but it didn’t do well. I haven’t seen the recent Iranian one to see how they handled it, but there was a promotion video on You Tube.
I think they wouldn’t be keen on an illustrated Qur’an for kids because the Qur’an is “perfect” as it is, they think and it would require writing for children like the “Bible Stories For Children” book I had. I talk about this with Muslims…how they missed out on that and all the paintings that interested us as kids…Noah’s Ark, Moses parting the seas, Jesus, etc.
Maybe there were no good painters on Arabia. They destroyed Greek art of all living things…real looking people, animals, so the Greeks had to make their mosaics not like real people or real lions. So, it wasn’t just portraits that was a problem. I’m surprised some of the Syrian lion hunt friezes survived as well as in Iran but a lot was damaged.
However, Uthman is depicted on a coin. (I think it was him-some Muslim leader depicted with a cross, oddly.)
Ironically, kings are OK because in Riyadh there’s a large painting on the side of a building of King Salman.
gravenimage says
The only Islamic art has been in places with strong traditions of Infidel image making–places like Turkey, Persia, and India. And this seldom lasted for long, before the traditions were crushed.
somehistory says
The Bible is the Book from and about the True God. It states: “No man may see God and yet live.”
So, there is no way that depicting “glorious images of God and the prophets? ” can ever take place.
As far as that evil book of filthy verses read by moslims and worshipped…one must not tear it or burn it, etc., if one wishes to not have moslims rioting the world over and screaming about the “desecration.”
Why doesn’t he just get someone to sketch satan the devil as most people (the ones who believe he exists) imagine him….red, evil eyes, horns and a long tail?
The Bible describes the devil as a “dragon”….One could draw a dragon for the “god” of the evil, filthy book. And as for the “prophet”….a pile of slime, pond scum. should do nicely. The raper of children, mass murderer is the only “prophet” islam can rightly claim.
None of the prophets in the Bible have any share in the evil filthy book of islam.
Although I paint and draw, I would not want to dirty my mind or hands with such as this. It isn’t fear…it’s a matter of taste and morals and truth.
gravenimage says
Christian artists have indeed depicted God–just look at Michelangelo.
The difference is that Christians who disagree with this do not murder people. Muslims do.
don vito says
itace, I’m sure, would like to participate…by drawing his super duper prophet, right itace?
don vito says
Or maybe brian hoff?
Roger Gangitano says
What the Danish people need us a Danish Pamela Geller and a Danish Robert Spencer to hold a “Draw Mohammed Art Contest and Exhibition.”
How would it be if the non-Muslim population started killing Muslins to defend their Freedom of Speech? Oh, right…. THAT would be crossing the line, but when Islam kills because others draw Mohammed, it doesn’t cross the line. It’s a one-way line, I guess. DANES SHOULD WSKE UP!!!
Jack Holan says
Robert,
Illustrating Mohammed or Allah but especially Mohammed should not be a problem for a Children’s book You define it as a teaching opportunity. Those pages that depict Mohammed leave as a blank page with a foot note. The footnote can attest to Muslims willing to Murder over Any picture of the prophet. The reason for their fanaticism is unknown however they may fear that the lack of his substance will transcend any Representation.
blitz2b says
I think the best person for the job is Bosch Fawstin… The winner of the “Mohammed Cartoons” His illustrations are awesome and he is already “out there” in the public eye for challenging the restrictions on depicting the prophet of Islam.
gravenimage says
Agreed!
And here is my contribution to a children’s book for Muslims–the “Prophet” raping poor 9-year-old Aisha:
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/gravenimageartist/media/bWVkaWFJZDo1MTM3OTE0Mw==/?ref=1
Click on the image to expose the whole picture.
Linda Clark formerly Linnte says
I’ll do it! Gladly! I believe Robert Spencer has my email. Just let me know! I can send Robert an example of my art too, if the guy is interested.
gravenimage says
Why has the world history of art never produced a version of the Quran with glorious images of God and the prophets?
…………………..
Let’s just say that Kåre Bluitgen is unclear on the concept…
gravenimage says
Looks like Kåre Bluitgen found at least one clueless artist:
https://www.amazon.com/Koran-life-Prophet-Muhammad-ebook/dp/B00EX9RQXI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8