Enlightenment’s Islam: a “Necessary Fiction”
I found this essay fascinating as there’s some history in it I wasn’t aware of. It’s a bit of a long read, but IMO it’s worth it—I’m still trying to digest everything.
Library of Congress Reading Room Dome (see full mural here)
WASHINGTON—For a third day, protesters have blocked the entrance of the Library of Congress, demonstrating against plans for a controversial, Islamic-themed mural. Bearing signs reading “No Islamization – USA,” the protesters called for government action to defund the proposed mural, which would occupy a prominent space on the dome of the library’s Main Reading Room, and is set to depict a turbaned figure holding scientific implements and labeled “Islam.” Library administrators argue that the mural acknowledges Muslim contributions to the history of science, and that the Islamic world will be only one of many cultures recognized in the finished work.
Critics, however, object to what they call government endorsement of Islam at a national landmark. In a weekend public appearance, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said, “There should be no artwork glorifying Islam within sight of the U.S. Capitol….The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over.”
Others consider the mural especially objectionable in light of the fact that the Capitol building, yards from the site of the proposed artwork, was an intended target of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York City during the attacks, is calling the mural “a desecration.” And former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin tweeted that the “Muslim Mural is UNNECESSARY provocation.”
Tempers are running even higher online, where noted blogger and Islam critic Pamela Geller called the mural “a stab in the eye”….
None of the above is really fictional. All of the quotes are authentic; I just borrowed them from the “Ground Zero Mosque” saga. The “Islam” mural is real, too. You can see it for yourself in a proud spot on the dome of the Library of Congress, part of a series called “Human Knowledge.” […]
So, from Gibbon to Geller, this is not exactly a story of regress. It is, somewhat depressingly, a story of stasis. The constant is the Western tendency to treat the idea of Islam—whether as paragon or bogeyman—as useful. As tolerance has surged and receded, one venerable tradition has remained standing: using the faith of a billion to score points on our enemies, whether they’re a competing Christianity, the forces of organized religion more generally, or supporters of President Obama—who is more widely perceived as a Muslim the lower his approval rating gets. […]
