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Liam Neeson’s Muhammad comments anger conservatives Catholics

‘Chronicles of Narnia’ star insults CS Lewis memory they say

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Monday, December 27, 2010, 6:39 AM

Updated Monday, December 27, 2010, 9:10 AM

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39 Comments

Liam Neeson

Right wing Catholics are taking aim at Liam Neeson over comments he made about Aslan, the Lion character he plays in the movie of the Chronicles of Narnia books by C.S Lewis.

Lewis, a devout Catholic also from Northern Ireland is a major hero figure for many conservative Catholics.

Neeson has upset his supporters by saying that Aslan not only represents Christ but also Muhamand
Neeson stated "Aslan symbolizes a Christlike figure," ... "but he also symbolizes for me Muhammad, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries."

William Oddie the former editor of the Catholic Herald. calls Neeson's comment "a betrayal of Lewis' intention and a shameful distortion" of Lewis' work.

Oddie stated "Aslan is clearly established from the very beginning of the [series] as a Christ figure. I can't believe that Liam Neeson is so stupid as not to know [this]."

Walter Hooper was formerly C.S. Lewis' secretary and is also a trustee of the Lewis estate is also angry at Neeson.

Lewis' work, he said, "has nothing whatever to do with Islam. The whole story is about Christ. Lewis could not have been clearer."

Nster.com

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39 Comments

15 - 39 | See all comments

billjenkind | Mar 11, 2011, 04:28 AM EST

hi im billy, i has big ballz and my mum is a tranny :)

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Woodman | Dec 29, 2010, 06:41 PM EST

People should chill out. The Aslan character "FOR Neeson" not what CS Lewis meant it to be. Neeson is just saying the story has a universal appeal, regardless of what religion you follow. And that is a good thing because C.S. Lewis, though a Christian, was not and never became a Catholic.

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newcanaan | Dec 28, 2010, 06:56 AM EST

Maybe its time to bring back The Templars?

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Watereskhill | Dec 28, 2010, 01:36 AM EST

The figure of the Lion is rich in it's resonance in several cultures. Not just Christendom. It is beyond daft that there is only one interpretation of these mythical 'Chronicles'. However much the Trustees of his estate might figet the truth is Lewis smoked opium and did not attend Church on a regular basis.

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SingleDonald | Dec 27, 2010, 10:45 PM EST

I just want to offer a brief comment: Liam Neeson merely made an innocent comment, equating Aslan to the central figure of ANY major religion! No harm should be taken by this!

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seanomelbourne | Dec 27, 2010, 09:57 PM EST

JOHNTOBIN needs to get his facts straight.Liberal theology!! and their arch rivals in the church h conservative neo-fascist OPUS DEI the modern version of the inquisition.

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Ajreaper | Dec 27, 2010, 09:43 PM EST

"but he also symbolizes for me Muhammad, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries." Thats an actor stating his opinion about a charactor he portrays- there is no right or wrong in a personal opinion. As a catholic I think we have much more greater issues involving our church then the opinions of an actor regarding a charactor he plays. Typical though to make a big deal about nothing while generally igoring the big deals.

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JOHNTOBIN | Dec 27, 2010, 09:02 PM EST

Two points I would like to make about this report.Number one-As far as I know C.S.Lewis was never a Catholic.He was what is considered Anglo-Catholic in the Anglican tradition.Number two-there is no such thing as a conservative Catholic or a liberal Catholic.The Catholic Church is not a democracy.You cannot pick what you like and cast aside what you do not like.

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conchobhar | Dec 27, 2010, 08:32 PM EST

If this is what set them off, conservative Catholics must be looking for excuses to get upset.

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jsmedlak | Dec 27, 2010, 08:23 PM EST

So let's quit making excuses for ourselves--how stupid to exlude Muslims from literary rfeferences. All that does is sow discontent between faiths and show how small minded many religionists are in the first place. I'm reminded of a very astute comment--"I don't know if faith can move mountains, but I've certainly seen what it can do to tall buildings in New York." So religionists should get off their high horses and focus on what counts, namely, people. There are unfortunately plenty of examples in Ireland and elsewhere of what happens when too much deference is given to any authority, including religion.

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Pittsburghkid | Dec 27, 2010, 08:20 PM EST

Don't get mad at him. His career is a bit slow now, and he has to say stupid things to get in the media. It is all Hollywood nothing is real.

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eiriamach | Dec 27, 2010, 08:01 PM EST

If you-all want something to quarrel about and C.S. Lewis to be in it, why not track down a brief article by John J. Miller, 8/8/05: "Back to Narnia: Harry Potter's mother country." Like Neeson's comment, Miller's article annoyed lots of people when he posted it on the 'net. He claims that Lewis' fictional ape/man Shift was intended to ridicule "Roman Catholicism in general and the papacy in particular." Lewis gives Shift these words: "If I look like an Ape, that's because I'm so very old: hundreds and hundreds of years old. And it's because I'm so old that I'm so wise. And it's because I'm so wise that I'm the only one Aslan is ever going to speak to." Shift says that he only seems ape-like because he's been around so long, and he's grown so wise that only he can bring the word of Aslan (the Christ figure?) to humankind. Could Miller be right? There's also a site called "Islamicate" that interprets the Narnia volumes as a Shi'a Muslim allegory--no kidding! Maybe it just goes to show that what James Joyce said about his "Ulysses" is true of other great books as well: "I've put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant."

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eileend | Dec 27, 2010, 06:46 PM EST

Well, I never want for a range of opinion here. Thanks for the reminder from eileenkny et al about the facts on CS and his religion. My amazement at borefield who thinks that acknowledging Mohammed as a great man to be kissing a**. You obviously have lacked in education, since Christians have been killing in the name of Jesus since they figured they could. Oh, and it isn't 7 virgins, it's 72. And the correct quote doesn't involve martyrdom, but heaven. The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy-two houri, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San'a" As for this little dust-up, really? Somebody really had enough time to publicize his objection to Neeson's quite legitimate statement that HE looked at Aslan in a certain light. Not that Lewis did. I think it's the people who take this stuff too seriously who really have to stay home.

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Aloygirl | Dec 27, 2010, 06:13 PM EST

Well said "mhichil, eileenkny,& queensmarg". Mr. Neeson is entitled to an opinion as much as anyone. I am apparently a dirty Irish Baptist & I have never understood the whole catholic deal.

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jamthecat | Dec 27, 2010, 05:30 PM EST

According to Misters Oddie and Hooper, Catholics are not allowed to think anything for themselves but must always be in quietness except when in complete agreement with the my-way-or-the-highway views of these two men. Talk about petty, childish and inane. Small wonder the Catholic church is losing influence with humanity -- it's no longer human, itself.

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