Liam Neeson: Aslan = Mohammad, Buddha as Well as Jesus

Via a trackback from from Unenlightened Commentary, excerpts from Daily Mail UK:

Narnia fans’ fury after Liam Neeson claims Aslan – the symbol of Christ – could also be Mohammed

C. S. Lewis was clear that the character of Aslan in his Chronicles of Narnia is based on Christ.

But actor Liam Neeson, who voices the lion in the latest Narnia film, has prompted a row after claiming his character is also based on other religious leaders such as Mohammed and Buddha.

…

C S Lewis had a firm view about the role of Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia.

The author once wrote of the character: ‘He is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, “What might Christ become like if there really were a world like Narnia, and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?”’

…

This represents the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in shattering the power of the White Witch, the resurrection’s conquest of original sin.

Ahead of the release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader next Thursday, Neeson said: ‘Aslan symbolises a Christ-like figure but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries.

‘That’s who Aslan stands for as well as a mentor figure for kids – that’s what he means for me.’

Liam is committing the same politically-expedient fallacy as Shift’s ‘Tashlan’ fusion in the seventh and final book, The Last Battle.

Fans will immediately realize who the monstrous entity Tash, whom the Arab-like Calormenes worship, is supposed to represent.

Thus I must conjecture that Liam never got that in depth into the series, or else is simply pandering to multiculturalism while being wholly insincere about his views.

But as Unenlightened Commentary points out, that would mean that Aslan is a visual depiction of Mohammad and a fatwa should be issued against the entire Narnia series.

Great going, Liam.