Muhammad Asks Facebook Users To Stop Tagging Him In Photos

It remains unclear to what extent Muhammad’s plea will be followed.

Paradise, December 11 – The founder of the religion of Islam issued a plea today to his social network contacts to stop tagging his image in pictures they post online.

Muhammad the Prophet and Messenger of Allah posted to his approximately 750 million Facebook followers this morning, asking them not to label his visage in the photos they upload or share, citing considerations of possible violence and damage to public safety.

“I ask all my followers, and anyone else who happens to encounter my image on Facebook, to refrain from tagging me in those images,” he wrote. “I realize that the vast majority of users have only good and proper intentions, but our collective experience has shown that associating me with a specific face is an unwise course of action.” He cited the Jyllands-Posten cartoon controversy as the most recent example of a threat to public order.

“I am sure none of my followers or friends wish to contribute to such a phenomenon, and I therefore request that everyone simply stop tagging me. Praise be to Allah the Merciful, I am in little need of further assistance in bringing my vision and message to humanity,” he added.

Observers note that Muhammad’s request appears to apply only to Facebook. “It’s interesting, to me at least, that the Prophet only objects to being tagged by others,” observed Ayaan Hirs Ali, a commentator on Islamic issues. “Muhammad appears not have a problem with his own Facebook profile picture or avatar. And on Twitter and Instagram, it’s still anything goes. One wonders whether in fact this is less about public safety and real concern for people’s welfare, and more about maintaining control over a certain image.” She also pointed out that on Snapchat, at least, the problem appears temporary.

It remains unclear to what extent Muhammad’s plea will be followed. “There indeed are almost a billion people all over the world who claim to be his followers,” explained Pia Athon, a postdoctoral candidate in comparative religion at Princeton University. “Many might even go so far as to say they are his actual friends. The thing is, few, if any, of these people have ever had their friend requests accepted personally. It seems almost every one of the people claiming to be his friends on Facebook are just people who followed his page. The Prophet’s personal profile is private, so no one can actually see who is or isn’t his friend.”

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