The Prophet Mohammed and the DIY expert

Amara Lakhous

During a talk show on Canale 5, Daniela Santanché described the Prophet Mohammed as a “paedophile.” Offending a billion or more Muslims becomes irrelevant when what matters is not being forgotten by the media. The primary objective was to rescue a floundering political career. Santanché expressed an extremely serious opinion since it addresses a mainly historical event (the Prophet Mohammed lived 14 centuries ago) without putting it into context. My mother married in 1953 when she was 16 years old and hence a minor. Should I consider my father a paedophile?

Article from the daily newspaper l'Unità of November 11th 2009

During a talk show on Canale 5, Daniela Santanché described the Prophet Mohammed as a “paedophile.” This was not her first provocation and sadly it will not be the last one. To offend a billion or more Muslims is irrelevant, what matters is never being forgotten by the media. The primary objective was to rescue a floundering political career. Santanché expressed an extremely serious opinion since it addresses a mainly historical event (the Prophet Mohammed lived 14 centuries ago) without putting it into context.

There is no question that paedophilia is the worst of crimes because it harms innocent children. As far as the Prophet Mohammed is concerned, however, one must address the issue of early marriages and try to understand the system of alliances in traditional societies. This phenomenon was a widespread custom, not only in the Muslim world, but also many other contexts. My mother was married in 1953 when she was 16 years old and thus a minor. Should I consider my father a paedophile?!

In recent years we have often seen Santanché speaking on TV, mainly about gossip. She has told us about her summer holidays on the Costa Smeralda with her friend Briatore. We have heard her hold forth in favour of plastic surgery and parliamentarians’ right to wear high heels in the halls of power etc. In spite of all this she has managed to gain a reputation as an expert on Islamic matters. Now she discusses the veil, mosques, and even the Holy War. Effectively she continues to be a DIY expert on the East since, without having even the most elementary information for expressing intelligent opinions concerning a religion as complex as Islam. There are real, serious and competent experts in Italy, but they are never invited to appear on talk shows because they do not have le physique du rôle needed for entertaining TV audiences.

Translated by Francesca Simmons

Readers' comments

one that studies Islam

the fact that Santanche' used a cliche' and called the prophet names is wrong but, honestly speaking, your article is making the same mistake because offends a woman. Everybody knows that Santanche' was spokesperson of your leftist movements, the whole phrasing of the whole article would've been different. Letting aside your political issues (which are apparently a plague for you Italians) there is not such a thing as tradition and culture. Islam is a monotheistic religion. Historically speaking and despite the rhetoric that Islam freed women in Arabia and in the neighbor countries, Islam restricted several freedoms women had in the pre-Islamic era. I invite you to have a look at Keddie and Ahmed to get a hint of what I mean. Women in any culture symbolise the nation, the habit, the tradition. Do not think that Islam is as fixed as your superficial and biased knowledge (right or left that you are, believe me you are a bunch of ignorants on the matter). The position of women has been discussed since the early 19th century in Egypt, Turkey and women's movements started in the early 1800s in some Arabic countries. What the West does not understand is that nowadays, in 2010, the whole soft-power that Europe is using to radical Muslims in Europe is not going to help women freed themselves. In 2008 I interviewed an Iranian activist and she explained that the main problem is that Europe is not representing a shelter for women that leave their own countries. This soft-attitude of Europeans countries (she called it the spin-less Europe and the propagandistic left) toward Islamism is simply a new obstacle to them. Because Iran or Germany, the silence and the ghost of 'respect of tradition' is not giving them the chance to be actually as free as they would like to, wearing only the hijab and getting an education and a job as any other women in the western world. So, this el dorado taht the west promises, is in reality, only an oasis in the middle of a desert. and people like you, really, do little or nothing to understand that what falls under the term 'tradition' has to deal and respect the term 'modernisation' and, above all, the phrase 'respect the others and they'll respect you'. Muslims are not screwed up people but under-18 marriage should be prohibited. And yes, your father, if he was over 18 and had not received your mother's parents acceptance would have been prosecuted in England for being a paedophile. In terms of young girls marriages, please read a bit more about Saudi Arabian's marriages and...stop this cliches OK?

Thursday, 3 June 2010