[Jamroll]

Christ-like bin Laden image stirs debate in Australia

By Katrine Narkiewicz

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Artworks depicting Osama bin Laden in a Christ-like pose and a statue of the Virgin Mary covered in a burqa have caused a stir in Australia after they were showcased in a prestigious religious art competition.

"Bearded Orientals: Making the Empire Cross" by Priscilla Bracks is a "double vision" print that depicts both Jesus and bin Laden.

Luke Sullivan's "The Fourth Secret of Fatima" is a statue of Mary, her head and torso obscured by a blue burqa like the one Afghan women had to wear under the militant Taliban.

The artworks were among more than 500 entries in the Blake Prize for Religious Art, and have been included in an exhibition at the National Art School in Sydney.

"The choice of such artwork is gratuitously offensive to the religious beliefs of many Australians," Australian Prime Minister John Howard told Thursday's Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Opposition Labor leader Kevin Rudd also criticized the artwork. "I accept you know people can have artistic freedom, but I find this painting off, off in the extreme. I understand how people would be offended by it," he said.

Australia's 20 million population is overwhelmingly Christian and the print was condemned by the Australian Christian Lobby.


Read the rest here: http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...rpc=22&sp=true

[shsh]

LOL

[Arabesque]

I think bin Laden is a very handsome man, but I don't see this form of "art" serving any good purpose. I don't know why some so-called artists are obsessed with offending people.

[MossadConspiracy]

OBL comes off as really effeminate, but if he trimmed his beard a bit he would actually look the part.

its always funny how much work and ingenuity artists use to piss people off

ws

[wheelworks]

Posting the pic of Bin Laden is less sacrilegous than posting a pic of Isa donchaknow

[Aryan_]

People who think Americans are the stupidest, most ignorant people in the world haven't met any Australians...a country with a collective IQ lower than a tube of smarties.

[Musashi]

Asallamu 'alaikum wa rahmatulLahi wa barakatuh
My sentiments exactly, wheelworks. xD;

Entertaining article anyway. Especially after the cartoons. -shot for bringing it up again-

[Songbird]

Originally Posted by Arabesque

I think bin Laden is a very handsome man, but I don't see this form of "art" serving any good purpose. I don't know why some so-called artists are obsessed with offending people.

He does have piercing eyes mashaAllah.

[FMROMMEL]

Originally Posted by Aryan_

People who think Americans are the stupidest, most ignorant people in the world haven't met any Australians...a country with a collective IQ lower than a tube of smarties.

Maybe the Australians should have started rioting and making death threats like the "smarter" people of a certain "faith" who didn't like some silly little cartoons depicting a certain person.

[Jamroll]

Originally Posted by FMROMMEL

Maybe the Australians should have started rioting and making death threats like the "smarter" people of a certain "faith" who didn't like some silly little cartoons depicting a certain person.

Well seeing as how the persons responsible for this potentially offensive picture are not Muslim, I'm not sure how your comparison is relevant.

[A_Muminah]

As-Salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaah,

Originally Posted by Songbird

He does have piercing eyes mashaAllah.

He has nicely arched eyebrows.
Masha-Allaah.

'Alaykum As-Salaam Wa Rahmatullaah