A Kenyan publisher has taken back a school book due to an outcry from Muslim leaders and parents.
The book included a drawing of Prophet Muhammad, which many found offensive.
They felt it was wrong to ask students to color in such an illustration.
The publisher, Mentor Publishing Company, acknowledged that they made a serious mistake in the book on Islamic studies for second-year primary school students.
About 11% of Kenya’s population is Muslim, making it the second-largest religious group in the country.
Depicting Prophet Muhammad is deeply offensive to Muslims
Islamic tradition strictly forbids creating images of the Prophet Muhammad and Allah (God).
Sheikh Rishard Rajab Ramadhan, a Muslim scholar from Mombasa, expressed concern, saying that including such images in a book could dangerously mislead young children and even lead to conflict.
“No one should imagine, leave alone attempt, to draw Prophet Muhammad.
This can even cause war,” Mr Ramadhan said
In a letter to the Muslim community, the publisher admitted that the content in their book, “Mentor Encyclopaedia Grade 2,” was disrespectful to the Islamic faith.
They explained that the drawing was mistakenly included, and they sincerely apologized for the error.
The publisher promised to remove the offensive drawing from all future editions and collaborate with the Muslim Education Council to review all their books.
They have advised teachers, students, and school administrators to return the book.
Sheikh Ramadhan welcomed the recall of the book and encouraged publishers to consult with Muslim leaders before publishing Islamic books.
Religious studies are an integral part of the curriculum in Kenyan schools.
This controversy over the depiction of Prophet Muhammad has caused tensions, especially in Europe.
In 2020, a teacher in France was tragically killed after using cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a lesson about freedom of speech.
In 2021, a teacher in the UK was suspended after showing an “inappropriate” cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad, which led to protests from Muslim parents. Later, an investigation found that the teacher did not intend to cause offense.
Although there isn’t a specific ban in the Quran (the holy book of Islam) on images of Prophet Muhammad, many Muslims believe it applies due to the general principle of not depicting Allah.