Muhammad
Date: 1998
Region: Africa
Subject: Religious
Medium: Literature
Artist: Maxime Rodinson (1915 - 2004)
Confronting Bodies: American University in Cairo, Salah Montasser, Egyptian High Education Ministry
Date of Action: May 1998
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Description of Artwork: Rodinson's book, Muhammad, is described as a mildly revisionist, psychological approach to the prophet Muhammad.
The Incident: An Egyptian newspaper reporter, Salah Montasser, attacked the book in al-Ahram, suggesting that it "denigrated the Islamic faith" and requested that it be removed from the school's curriculum
Results of Incident: The American University in Cairo went beyond the Higher Education Ministry and the columnist's requests and removed the book from both the course and the library shelves.
Source: Index on Censorship, 4/98