--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Portraiture has its risks, and I suppose…" description: "\"“Portraiture has its risks, and I suppose a dissident Free Presbyterian fatwa is one of them.”\" — Alexander McCall Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/alexander-mccall-smith-372_dissident_portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose_2195417.png" --- # Portraiture has its risks, and I suppose a dissident Free… ![“Portraiture has its risks, and I suppose a dissident Free Presbyterian fatwa is one of them.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/alexander-mccall-smith-372_dissident_portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose_2195417.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/alexander-mccall-smith-372_dissident_portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose_2195417.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/alexander-mccall-smith-372_dissident_portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose_2195417.png) > ““Portraiture has its risks, and I suppose a dissident Free Presbyterian fatwa is one of them.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Portraiture can expose hidden truths, making subjects vulnerable to criticism or danger. **In simple terms:** Portraits reveal hidden truths, risking exposure. Key Takeaway Be aware of the power of representation. Themes art risk identity politics exposure Mood thoughtful critical Type cautionary reflective When to use this quote - photojournalism - political activism - personal branding - media coverage Key Concepts representation power dynamics social critique Questions to Reflect On - How does a portrait change perception of its subject? - When is it ethical to reveal hidden aspects? A Different Perspective Not all subjects consent to being exposed; privacy concerns may arise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dissident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissident/) [Fatwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fatwa/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Portraiture Risks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portraiture-risks-4800181/) [Presbyterian Fatwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presbyterian-fatwa-4800182/) [Suppose Dissident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppose-dissident-4800183/) ## Related quotes > [“Nobody ever wanted to go to war, but if a war came your way, it might as well be the right war, about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/nobody-ever-wanted-to-go-to-war-but-if-a-war-came-your-way-it-might/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [A fatwa is a religious edict. Such edicts bind only those who seek to follow the Imam issuing them but can be regarded as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/a-fatwa-is-a-religious-edict-such-edicts-bind-only-those-who-seek-to/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) > [ “They \[terrorists\] can’t claim that their suicide bombings are martyrdom operations and that they become the heroes of the Muslim Ummah \[global brotherhood\]. No,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-tahir-ul-qadri/they-terrorists-can-t-claim-that-their-suicide-bombings-are-martyrdom/) [Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-tahir-ul-qadri/) > [Religion and political cartoons, as you may have heard, make a difficult couple, ever since that day of 2005, when a bunch of cartoonists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-chappatte/religion-and-political-cartoons-as-you-may-have-heard-make-a/) [Patrick Chappatte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-chappatte/) > [A fatwa is not a diktat, it's not binding. To turn the utterance of a non-entity into a fatwa and then talk about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shabana-azmi/a-fatwa-is-not-a-diktat-it-s-not-binding-to-turn-the-utterance-of-a/) [Shabana Azmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shabana-azmi/) > [Because I've always felt, whether the fatwa or whatever, the writer's great weapon is the truth and integrity of his voice. And as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/because-i-ve-always-felt-whether-the-fatwa-or-whatever-the-writer-s/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Sheikh Rahman's fatwa was the first time that anyone associated with al Qaeda had given religious sanction to attacks on American aviation, shipping and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/sheikh-rahman-s-fatwa-was-the-first-time-that-anyone-associated-with/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [I opposed the Fatwa against Salman Rushdie. I read the book and took a critical distance. I did not think The Satanic Verses is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/i-opposed-the-fatwa-against-salman-rushdie-i-read-the-book-and-took-a/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [“The police arrived and went to question the driver of the truck, who was still sitting in his cab, scratching his head. The truck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-police-arrived-and-went-to-question-the-driver-of-the-truck-who/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“From the Fatwa and Rationalizatons Committee, on the Fifth Day of this Venerable Month: In light of its meeting today, the Committee hereby announces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basma-abdel-aziz/from-the-fatwa-and-rationalizatons-committee-on-the-fifth-day-of-this/) [Basma Abdel Aziz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basma-abdel-aziz/) > [Boko Haram represents the ultimate Fatwa of our time. The question is does the sect's Fatwa represent the articulated position of the majority of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/boko-haram-represents-the-ultimate-fatwa-of-our-time-the-question-is/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [Some people are paralyzed by the consciousness of death, other people live with it… The fatwa certainly made me think about it a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/some-people-are-paralyzed-by-the-consciousness-of-death-other-people/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Islam has nothing to do with any act of terrorism. We reject every act of extremism and terrorism unconditionally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-tahir-ul-qadri/islam-has-nothing-to-do-with-any-act-of-terrorism-we-reject-every-act/) [Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-tahir-ul-qadri/) > [“When the Washington Post telephoned me at home on Valentine's Day 1989 to ask my opinion about the Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwah , I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/when-the-washington-post-telephoned-me-at-home-on-valentine-s-day/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The one fatwa that everyone here is probably familiar with is the Salman Rushdie fatwa, but a fatwa doesn't have to be a violent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/the-one-fatwa-that-everyone-here-is-probably-familiar-with-is-the/) [Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Dissident quotes > [“Zeena Schreck believes that the right-hand path and the left-hand path have traditionally had the same end goal; it is only the method that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/zeena-schreck-believes-that-the-right-hand-path-and-the-left-hand/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [If you are creative, you must be dissident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/if-you-are-creative-you-must-be-dissident/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [The "prophets" were what we would call dissident intellectuals. They provided critical geopolitical analysis, condemned the crimes of the powerful, called for justice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-prophets-were-what-we-would-call-dissident-intellectuals-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“But if I am not a criminal, I beg to be permitted to go abroad with my wife temporarily, for at least one year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-zamyatin/but-if-i-am-not-a-criminal-i-beg-to-be-permitted-to-go-abroad-with-my/) [Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-zamyatin/) > [Dissident intellectuals aren't all beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/dissident-intellectuals-aren-t-all-beautiful/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [You do not become a ''dissident'' just because you decide one day to take up this most unusual career. You are thrown into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/you-do-not-become-a-dissident-just-because-you-decide-one-day-to-take/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Pretty much anybody who does creative work in China navigates the gray zone. People aren't clear about where the line is any more, beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/pretty-much-anybody-who-does-creative-work-in-china-navigates-the/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [“The dissident does not operate in the realm of genuine power at all. He is not seeking power. He has no desire for office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/the-dissident-does-not-operate-in-the-realm-of-genuine-power-at-all/) [Václav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [“There are Tantrics who deliberately seek to do more active forms of renunciation, so transgression of social norms and breaking of taboo, and breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/there-are-tantrics-who-deliberately-seek-to-do-more-active-forms-of/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [“adolescent who expresses dissident opinion more or less vocally can end up in a place like that. Some of the children arrive there from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/adolescent-who-expresses-dissident-opinion-more-or-less-vocally-can/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I don't want to be a dissident. But in the same time, I don't want to go back home and be silent again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-khashoggi/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-dissident-but-in-the-same-time-i-don-t-want-to/) [Jamal Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-khashoggi/) > [“I am often described to my irritation as a 'contrarian' and even had the title inflicted on me by the publisher of one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-am-often-described-to-my-irritation-as-a-contrarian-and-even-had/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Dissident state or company employees in the Congo could not easily write to Morel directly, for a cabinet noir, or censorship office, in Boma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/dissident-state-or-company-employees-in-the-congo-could-not-easily/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) > [I know of only one country, at least to my knowledge, which has a dissident culture where leading figures, I mean, the most famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-know-of-only-one-country-at-least-to-my-knowledge-which-has-a/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [When we live in a world that is very unjust, you have to be a dissident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/when-we-live-in-a-world-that-is-very-unjust-you-have-to-be-a-dissident/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) [Browse all 35 Dissident quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissident/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Portraiture has its risks, and I suppose a dissident Free Presbyterian fatwa is one of them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose-a-dissident-free-presbyterian/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dissident" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose-a-dissident-free-presbyterian/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/alexander-mccall-smith-372_dissident_portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose_2195417.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/alexander-mccall-smith-372_dissident_portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose_2195417.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/alexander-mccall-smith-372_dissident_portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose_2195417.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Portraiture has its risks, and I suppose a dissident Free Presbyterian fatwa is one of them.” — Alexander McCall Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Portraiture has its risks, and I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose-a-dissident-free-presbyterian/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/portraiture-has-its-risks-and-i-suppose-a-dissident-free-presbyterian/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```