Bhopal Muslims protest against paintings depicting them as terrorists

Source URL: http://in.news.yahoo.com/070517/139/6fx19.html

Bhopal, May 17(ANI): Muslims here on Thursday raised objections to some paintings at an exhibition by Kailash Tewari, which depicted Muslims as terrorists.

Muslim groups staged protest outside the venue of the exhibition, which began on Tuesday, and shouted slogans against the painter, Kailash Tewari,

The paintings, which features Osama bin Laden and Pakistan President Pervezusharraf also shows people in beard and wearing religious cap attacking India and the Parliament.

“Several exhibitions of Osama bin Laden have been shown in the past but we have never raised any kind of objection but these painting showing beard is just made to target a specific community. We object to this. All Muslims are opposed to terrorism, terrorism is not allowed in Islam,” said, Mohammad Riyaz, a Muslim leader.

The controversial painter, however, says the exhibition titled “The Face of Terror” depicts the truth.

“I am not talking about Muslims, but unfortunately all terrorists turn out to be Muslims. I cannot do anything about it. Bamiyan Buddha statues were destroyed by the Muslims, the World Trade Centre and even the Parliament was attacked by them, what can I do if the attackers has a Khan or Mohammad in his name,” said, Tewari on Wednesday.

The painter has removed 10 paintings from the exhibition, after Muslims raised objections to it. Sensing trouble, local authorities had asked him to wind up the exhibition.

Meanwhile, radical Hindu organisations have come in support of the painter.

” Recently in MS University Vadodara, some Hindu groups had objected to an Art student painting demeaning Hindun and Christian deities. Then people had argued that the painter’s freedom of expression was being curtailed. So this is also an expression by a painter. For the first time paintings are depicting what is true,” said Vishal Purohit, leader of Bajrang Dal. (ANI)

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