Muslims urge removal of ‘offensive’ artwork in Norwegian City

The Muslim Joint Council, which numbers some 8,000 members, has called for a plate set up in Norway’s third-largest city of Stavanger to commemorate Nobel Peace Prize winner 

The Muslim Joint Council, which numbers some 8,000 members, has called for a plate set up in Norway’s third-largest city of Stavanger to commemorate Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to be removed from the ground.

The rationale is that the award winner shares names with Islam’s holy prophet, and trampling upon the holy man’s name is a sign of utter disrespect.

The Bronze plate to honor Muhammad Yunus, who won the 2006 Peace Prize for his pioneering work with microcredit loans, was set up seven years ago. Similar installations exist in Stavanger in honor of fellow peace prize winners Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and Al Gore.

“Here it lies on the ground, people step on it, and no one sees what it is,” Summer Ejaz, spokesperson for Muslim Joint Council Rogaland, told national broadcaster NRK, calling the name Muhammad “respectable and gracious”.

Criticism from fellow Muslims has been pouring in for several years, together with calls to elevate the bronze plate from the ground to eye level, he said.

“Stavanger is a diverse city with inhabitants from 200 different countries. It is therefore important that the municipality safeguards the minority population’s feelings in this matter. It has to do with well-being and people’s mental health,” Ejaz explained.