Reddit outraged after professor fired for showing images of Muhammad: ‘She did nothing wrong’
'This reeks of university politics, if you ask me,' one Redditor said in defense of the professor
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Reddit users defended a professor after she was fired for showing images of Muhammad, despite reportedly issuing multiple warnings to students. The post went viral, racking up over 72,000 likes in a subreddit called "WhitePersonTwitter."
Former adjunct professor at Hamline University Erika López Prater told students that the class would contain images of religious figures, including the prophet Muhammad and the Buddha, according to a New York Times report Sunday.
And that was just one of many warnings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HAMLINE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR FIRED FOR SHOWING IMAGES OF MUHAMMAD HAD WARNED STUDENTS IN SYLLABUS
Prater also reportedly informed students that an image of Muhammad — in a class about Islamic art — was going to be shown, giving students a final opportunity to leave.
The New York Times revelations sparked outrage on Reddit, where many users defended the adjunct professor for warning the students ahead of time.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"So it was in the syllabus. People were also asked to voice concerns. She made a verbal disclaimer beforehand. How many d--- warnings do you need?" one Redditor asked.
"Screw the college for caving here."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Another user wondered about whether the former Hamline University professor had good legal representation. "The students were warned before taking the class and warned again before the picture was shown in a class. I hope this professor has a good lawyer because that is just insane. She did nothing wrong."
One post went viral with over 12,000 likes. "It sounds like she took every reasonable precaution."
"Makes me wonder if the student or students that reported the teacher were planning it and waited to have it happen so they can pull this BS," a person with the username "mrmeow02" wrote in response to the viral post.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This reeks of university politics, if you ask me," another Redditor said, with another person pointing out that the paintings themselves were "painted by Muslim people."
The post continued: "These paintings were commissioned and paid for by the wealthy, educated, Islamic rulers at the time of their creation and weren’t secret or insidious."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An image in Hagia Sophia shows a mural of Mary holding Jesus Christ alongside inscriptions of Allah and Muhammad. (HADI ZAHER via Getty Images)
In an interview with the school’s newspaper, one student said that the incident made her feel excluded from the community.
"As a Muslim and a Black person, I don’t feel like I belong, and I don’t think I’ll ever belong in a community where they don’t value me as a member, and they don’t show the same respect that I show them."
Hamline University previously told Fox News Digital that Prater "taught the course until the end of the term" and emphasized that it was her "first time at Hamline."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News’ Michael Lee contributed to this report.