DAR AL HARB - INDIA: "THE FACE OF TERROR"

Muslims against objectionable paintings
By Our Staff Reporter

Bhopal, May 20: While the saffron brigades have termed the painting exhibition as freedom of expression, the Muslims in Bhopal have started objecting to the paintings that depicted Muslims as terrorists. The Muslims raised objections to some paintings at an exhibition by Kailash Tiwari.

Muslim groups staged protest outside the venue of the exhibition, which began on Tuesday, and shouted slogans against the painter, Kailash Tiwari. The paintings, which features Osama bin Laden and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf also shows people in beard and wearing religious cap attacking India and the Parliament.

A local Muslim leader Mohammad Riyaz said, "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." The controversial painter, however, claims the exhibition titled "The Face of Terror" depicts the truth.

The painter Tiwari a couple of days ago told media persons, "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 I can do if the attackers have a Khan or Mohammad in his name." 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.


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1) Muslims against objectionable paintings