Public art or rusting steel

Chicago and London are two of my favorite places to stroll around the streets in and admire public art.

Some of my favorites are the Picasso statue in Daley Plaza in the Chicago Loop and the Chicago Board of Trade statues symbolizing agriculture and industry. In Lincoln Park, you can view some magnificent sculptures of -- guess who! -- Abraham Lincoln. They reveal his many lifetime achievements. Two of them, which I found portrayed confidence and power, are the statues of the Sitting Lincoln and the Standing Lincoln by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Many individuals around the world don't seem to share the same appreciation for sculptures and statues as others. It can spark controversy. The reason may be for political or religious reasons. It is not unusual to read a headline about a landmark statue that faces the threat of being torn down.

Statues and other forms of public art come in all shapes and sizes: Classical statues such as The Thinker, The Kiss, The Discus Thrower and Lady Justice or animal and mythical statues as well as athlete and sports sculptures of hundreds of athletes from baseball to discus. Then again, you can find many religious statues such as the Pieta, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Madonna, the Buddha, Hindu gods and angels. Of course, statues and busts of our founding fathers, presidents and other national and world leaders are a great way to exhibit patriotism and deference for history and landmarks of a country's heritage.

You may remember shocking headline news in 2001 about the tallest Buddha figure in the world, which was created in the third century A.D., when it was announced that Afghan Taliban leaders had ordered their destruction.

In comparison to other big cities around the world, driving around İstanbul, you'll notice all the steel complexes but see relatively few exhibits of public art on display. There are just a few pre-Islamic ones and many of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. What about all the history in between?

The other day, driving along my regular route to work, I noticed two new statues which have been erected in Yoğurtçu Park, Moda. One is of a soccer player and the other of some war hero (gazi).

Is the trend changing? Why shouldn't there be more statues and other forms of public art around the city to help significant historical events and important figures be remembered?

I recently came across the Reading Islam Web site (http://www.readingislam.com). A person asked the Web site's consultant the following question: “I am interested about the command from the Taliban chief to destroy all non-Islamic statues in Afghanistan. Some people agree with that but some people, especially non-Muslims, strongly dissagree. I'd like to ask you about your opinion in this case, considering the aspects of religion, society and politics.”

In short, the consultant replied: “Dear questioner, … we'd like to cite for you the words given by Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former President of the Islamic Society of North America, on this issue:

‘We ask the Taliban government of Afghanistan to stop the destruction of Buddhist statues and relics in their country. Their decision is un-Islamic and very dangerous. … Afghans have been Muslims for more than one thousand years. These statues existed in Afghanistan long before Afghans became Muslims. No Afghan Muslim government in the past tried to destroy them. When the Caliph ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) captured Jerusalem, he visited several churches in that city. Those churches were full of images and statues. He did not order the destruction of any images or statues. Muslims are supposed to give the message of Allah to humanity, so that humanity will in turn renounce idolatry, but they are not supposed to force people to accept Islam or to destroy other people's sacred symbols and places of worship'.”

Statues and busts are used to add a touch of elegance in a room or library. They add richness and depth when used to decorate public places, government offices and parks. Why so few here?

“A nation is bound together by its creative artists and not by parallel lines of rusting steel.” -- Pierre Burton