A new hand statue in downtown Brooklyn has sparked controversy over association with ISIS

A new statue in the form of a hand with the index finger pointing to the sky is installed in the center of Brooklyn. Some believe that it resembles a Muslim gesture used by the adherents of the Islamic State terrorist organization. For others, it is a symbol of pride. The publication will help us understand the true meaning of the sculpture. New York Post.

"A new public sculpture in downtown Brooklyn in the form of a massive hand, the index finger of which is pointed to the sky, offers a wide range of interpretations regarding its meaning - with some observers even note its resemblance to the infamous gesture of ISIS," the newspaper writes.

The towering bronze figure is called "Unity." Its height is almost 7 meters. The sculpture was funded by the City Department of Culture, and on November 9 the year 2019 was installed at the intersection of Tillary and Adams on the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

As written in Twitter NYC Cultural Affairs about the discovery of this sculpture, it resonates with the iconic gesture of the Statue of Liberty and reflects "Brooklyn's unique spirit as a place of growth and ambition."

Muslim gesture?

At the same time, as city conservation activist Todd Fine noted, this work is strikingly similar to an Islamic hand gesture, which demonstrates a commitment to monotheism according to the concept of Tawheed.

This same gesture is also used as a signal by the ISIS international terrorist group, Fyne noted.

“Given the name and design of the sculpture, audiences will inevitably see a Muslim gesture representing Tawheed and the oneness of God,” Fine said. "This gesture has become the main propaganda symbol of ISIS, but its roots are much deeper in Islam and monotheistic religion."

New Yorkers Opinion: “Positive Symbol”

The New Yorkers, who attended the opening of the statue on November 10, have a much more innocent interpretation of this.

“It looks like a sports statue,” said 66-year-old Joel Shapiro. - As if we're number one. At least it seems positive. "

32-year-old Netta Crawford said that this reminds her of a symbol of Kings County pride, adding: “Maybe she tells the world that Brooklyn is number one!”

Or is it ISIS?

But Fine was not alone in his conviction that this work could conjure up images of the bloodthirsty monsters of ISIS.

“There are various sectarian associations that can be created, be it ISIS or Michelangelo's iconography: a depiction of God and Adam with outstretched index fingers,” says Michelle Bogart, professor of art history at Stony Brook University.

In his opinion, this leads to associations with ISIS extremists that "are hardly the ideal type of association that can be created in the center of Brooklyn."

I agree with this exact view and member of the City Council of Staten Island Joe Borelli.

"How can one administration commit so many mistakes while performing seemingly innocuous tasks?" He exclaimed.

The Republican recalled another recent dubious case where Mayor Bill De Blasio’s Department of Culture ordered the installation of a statue of Mother Cabrini.

The Republican also sarcastic about this, saying that the center of Brooklyn would be a good place to erect a "non-conflict statue of Mother Cabrini."

Recall that recently a group led by Shirlein McCray, the wife of the mayor of the city, ignoring the results of a public poll, called for the installation in New York of a statue of the Italian-American and Catholic icons of Mother Cabrini, the patroness of emigrants.

“Search for unity”

Unity was developed by artist Hank Willis Thomas. Earlier, he surprised the public by proposing to replace men's sculptures in Central Park with monuments to women.

On the subject: In 2020, the first monument to women will appear in Central Park

“You can say that we are number one, but also that we are all one,” Thomas told the Brooklyn newspaper in 2015, when it was first proposed to install the Unity sculpture.

Later, the local council approved the project, the source recalled.

Today, both the city and the artist reject the idea that the work has anything to do with ISIS.

“This accusation is completely absurd - is every sports fan who holds a raised finger a supporter of ISIS? Department of Cultural Affairs spokesman Ryan Max asked in a statement. "The gesture that this sculpture depicts is a universal symbol of aspiration and aspiration."

Thomas added in an email: "In this work, I ask viewers to look up in search of unity."