After reading Complaint and Answer by Muhammad Iqbal, I questioned the ability of religion to provide comfort for people who believe that their pain was meant to serve as punishment or make them better people. It is evident that negative and positive feelings are associated with religion, but negative feelings are seen as serving a purpose. Religion gives a reason for pain and suffering that, for some people, is comforting. There is a common saying that “everything happens for a reason,” and for some people, that reason is found through religion. However, the different interpretations of holy scriptures can change people’s beliefs and actions. I used these roses to symbolize the different aspects of religion that are interpreted differently by each person — these differences are reflected in the way people view pain and suffering. I used red roses, which are a common symbol among Muslims; however, I also used a white rose to symbolize religious conservatism, other red flowers to represent the many different “Islams,” a red rose with dew drops or “tears” to represent the pain and suffering that is inherent in human life, and small black flowers to represent negative interpretations of Islam and religion as a concept.
I edited the photos in different ways in order to symbolize the drastic differences that can be found in the interpretations of Islam. First, I created a traditional “royal” looking photograph that represents the typical way in which Islam is viewed among Muslims. The black and white photograph represents “outsiders'” view of Islam — they may see “Islam” as one particular definition that has certain implications for Muslims, including rules and rituals. Finally, the negative photograph was meant to show how drastic interpretations can be.
How can we define Islam if there are so many different interpretations?