Aisha’s thoughts Painting

This painting was created after reading an article in the newspaper. The EHRM (European Court of Human Rights) ruled that the criminal conviction of an Austrian woman who had insulted the Prophet Mohammed was justified. The lady in question was charged of insulting the Prophet and his followers due to calling the marriage of the Prophet Muhammad to the 6,7,8 or 9 year old Aisha (the girl’s age is not fully agreed upon) a ‘child rape’ during a seminar. The lady was convicted in 2011 of derogatory religious doctrines, and she was fined. There are 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide who take as an example a man who took a child bride, a man whose image is too sacred to depict and whose reputation should not be tarnished with stories of abused children. One could also argue that the good man was instructed to take the child as wife by the Big Guy himself, God or Allah; any supreme being is hard to ignore. Well, today, people who hear whispering voices and have ‘visions’ are almost immediately referred to psychiatry for long-term counseling or they get a large dose of medication. If one has to belief in a supreme being, then let it please conform to the ethical standards we pursue today so that it can serve as an example for society. But I can’t help but wonder what was going through Aisha’s mind as she stood in front of her 54-year-old groom. Hands clasped together, accepting her fate, waiting and afraid of what life would bring her. A child, a girl, a sacrifice; it is a pity that their rights are not more often protected. Let’s leave faith for what it is, true or not, fantasy or good story, but assume that the ‘here and now’ takes precedence. Let’s agree that some role models are just plain wrong.