Monday, December 5, 2011

Utah Mormons Celebrate Muslim Arts

At least, that's how onIslam puts it:
CAIRO - Islamic art from around the world will be exhibited in Brigham Young University’s Museum of Art in an event organized by Utah Mormons to celebrate the Islamic culture and show how religious beliefs can parallel each other.

"It was amazing how many times people found the same values found in the Mormon traditions and culture also in (Islamic culture)," Sabiha Al Khemir, the project's director, told Desert News newspaper.

"We aspire to similar things. Many times, my Mormon colleagues are quoting things to me directly from Mormon scripture that directly correspond with what these pieces are about."

Planned since 2008, the project began when Al Khemir, a Tunisian native and world-renowned writer, artist and expert in Islamic art, had the idea to bring a collaborative exhibition to the university

The exhibit, which will feature more than 250 pieces from nine countries, will take up the main floor of BYU's Museum of Art...
I, too, have observed the phenomenal similarities between Islam and the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Not really.

In fact, I think they're about as similar as chalk and cheese, and that it would not be at all inaccurate to say that, as far as Islam sees it, the cheese--it--stands alone. (In other words, Mormons may or may not be inclined to "celebrate" something Muslim but you will not read a headline about Muslims celebrating anything Mormon.)

But let's not tell the Mormons and disrupt the "celebration." (As an aside, I had a brush with Mormons some months ago. While waiting for a bus outside a Jewish cultural centre with my son, we were approached by two fresh-faced young men. They were wearing pins that immediately identified as Mormons. One of them struck up a friendly conversation that led, inevitably, to their pitch. "Do you know Jesus?" he asked me. Reflexively--though not unpleasantly--the words that popped out of my mouth were, "You're barking up the wrong tree." They took no offence whatsoever, wished us well and continued on their way.)

No comments: