10:39 AM 09/02/2002
On August 26, 2002 I received the following email, in reference to a painting I executed in June, which I had up for sale on eBay. The sender's last name has been removed, to maintain anonymity.
I suggest you learn more about the religion then make paintings
of grenades. If you are a religious person than I am sure you would
be appalled by the idea of me painting a crucifix with a child being
molested on it, even though in Islam the strangled minority is
resorting to acts of violence...not the spiritual leaders resorting to
acts of utmost condemnation.
But I wouldnt do that....simply bec. I have more respect for
Christianity, Judaism, and Jesus....and this is from my teachings of
Islam. Before replying back in a defensive way...I suggest you try
and learn about the religion.
Khurram
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Question from: XXXXXXX
Title of item: Islam-I-Bomb - Oil on canvas -WITTIG
Seller: bobwittig
Starts: Aug-19-02 13:19:20 PDT
Ends: Aug-29-02 13:19:20 PDT
Price: Starts at $9.95
To view the item, go to: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=900875212
This is my reply to the sender:
Khurram,
I'm a student of religion, including Islam.
I am also aware of the difference between the terms 'Islamist' and
'Islam', and the fact that at present, there are factions inside Judaism,
Christianity, Hinduism and just about every other organised religion that
you can think of, that are just as screwed-up and non-representative of
the average practitioner of those religions, as the Islamist faction is.
The fact still remains, that the Islamist entity, which has its origins
in the Wahabbi sect of Islam, is shopping the globe right now for
nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and has delcared their own
brand of jihad on numerous groups, the world round, and are currently
engaged in violent conflict with their fellow human beings in Eastern
Europa, Southern Russia, Western China, India, Indonesia, and Africa,
plus perpetrating isolated violent incidents in other areas as well. They
are committing these acts of violence in the name of Allah.
For most of the non-Muslim world, on the outside looking in... they (the
Islamists) are the voice of Islam, and they do not appear to be a
strangled minority, because their's is the voice that the rest of the
world is both seeing and hearing in the media. (I am also a student of
media, and do not rely on any limited perusal of the news.)
I also do not reserve my social criticisms for any particular group. I am
a person who has spiritual beliefs of my own, but I do not have any faith
in organised religion, because religion, regardless of who might have
created it in the first place, is now in the control of human beings, who
are perverting its worth for reasons of power and control.
It is probably just a matter of time, before I paint a picture that
addresses the sexual abuse scandal, now unfolding in the Catholic church.
I am sure that it will offend Roman Catholics. I paint and write about
everything that I feel strongly about. It is my natue to do so, and it is
a considerably less lethal activity than either hurling a bomb, or
sexually abusing a child. While my words and paintings are from time to
time bound to offend people, they also can provide people with a
perspective that they might otherwise never have seen... that is one of
the great values of free expression.
You might think that I make light of your religion, or of my criticism of
it, but that is not the case. Ever since Salaman Rushdie wrote 'The
Satanic Verses', and had to go into hiding to avoid Islamist assassins,
every Western writer and painter has been aware, that to criticise Islam,
is to risk one's life. After I paint such a picture, I have to ask myself
whether I should hide it under my bed, of put it up for sale on eBay, and
risk a letter bomb, or an anthrax-tainted check, in payment for my
efforts. Whatever my motives are, I must believe in my work to such a
degree that it is worth more to me to post it on eBay, than the money I
stand to make, if it sells.
My painting is a good deal less critical of Islam than a lot of the
political cartoons I have seen emanating from predominantly Islamic
countries are, critical of Western society and other religions. In both
cases, the work resonates with the audience that is in agreement with the
author, and offends the audience it is directed against. Still, it is a
non-violent dialogue between cultures, and is a better idea than an
actual exchange of bombs, which is what is happenning on the ground, now.
If my painting opens the door for non-violent communication between even
two people (which it seems to have already done), then it is a success,
and I have no complaints. I make no claim to 'absolute rightness', and if
the painting in question is a little bit off-the-wall, so be it.
Sometimes I get the people's noses wrong, in the portraits that I do of
them, too.
Right now, I am in the process of reading a book titled 'Why People Do
Bad Things in the Name of Religion', by Richard E. Wentz. I think it may
be out of print, but if you ever happen to see a copy of it in a used
book store, or on-line, you might find it an interesting read.
-wittig http://www.robertwittig.com/
A business is as honest as its advertisements.
.
P.S.
I checked out your domain, and did a traceroute on your email as a
precaution... something that is unfortunately necessary, in these
dangerous and uncertain times. We share a lot of the same technical
skills and interests.
------------IP Lookup--------------
I received no response to my reply, and a few days later, the painting was bid upon and subsequently sold, but not to this person.
For better or worse... this... is the interface between life, and art.