I love this HuffPo Religion story by Yasmine Hafiz.
Any time we can bridge cross-cultural gaps using food, holidays, and classical works of art, it’s always a win.
Ali told The Huffington Post, “For this year’s photo, we wanted to do something that, in its own humble way, aimed to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western cultural and religious norms. We looked up the painting, assigned each person a character, and meticulously tried to mimic the image, while also making it our own.”
And by the way, Megyn Kelley, if you wanted to see something a little closer to what Jesus probably looked like, it’s likely a whole lot closer to this photo (with the darker faces and features) than what is commonly depicted in the “alabaster faces that are strewn across Da Vinci’s original work.”
The Muslim Last Supper. Photo by Atif Ateeq. Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/muslim-last-supper-photo_n_4455289.html
Filed under: christianity, islam, religion | Tagged: Atif Ateeq, Fatima Ali, Friendsgiving, Jesus, Last Supper, Megyn Kelley, muslim, Yasmine Hafiz |
XKV8R: The (Retired) Blog of Robert R. Cargill, Ph.D. 
Perhaps with your background you could help with the whole “Jesus is white” mess. He was Jewish. From what I have ever seen in my 70 years or so, to me, that means white. Oh, not a sunburn waiting to happen transparent skinned Swede, but definitely white as opposed to East Asian or sub Saharan African. And that includes all those Arabs as well.
I have discovered a new way of viewing the world. Anything on Fox News is a priori false. Based on that, since someone on Fox News said that he was white, there is no way that he possibly could be. At least that’s what I’m gathering from all the sound and fury following Megan Kelley’s report.
Also, the Last Supper is wonderful! But what are the girls doing in the picture?
If all of the Jews you know are white, then I’m guessing they are of European descent. Check out research on Ashkenazi Jews. Then check out Sephardi Jews. Then check out Mizrahi Jews.
The questions centers around what Palestinian Jews would have looked like in the first century CE. We must then ask the question what did their Semitic relatives and neighbors look like? What do people look like in northern Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan? They probably did not look European as we know it today.
I watched Fatima’s interview and I still did not understand how this is supposed to bridge the east and west. There is a difference between geographic region and religion. That is not an opinion that is a fact. I am a Pakistani Christian. That does not mean I am from the west. Just as there are many white people who are not Christian.
I understand why many Christians would be offended. Even if a group of Christians had taken a picture it would be offensive so you all being of a different faith has no relevence as to why people are offended. In fact all my Muslim friends found this offensive and disrespectful too. That being said I wonder how any of you would react if someone had depicted a similar image of Islam. Food for thought?