...a miniature by Sultan Muhammad-Nur Bokharai, showing Muhammad riding Buraq, a horse with the face of a beautiful woman, on his way to Jerusalem for his M'eraj or nocturnal journey to Heavens (16th century); a painting showing Archangel Gabriel guiding Muhammad into Medina, the prophet's capital after he fled from Mecca (16th century); a portrait of Muhammad, his face covered with a mask, on a pulpit in Medina (16th century); an Isfahan miniature depicting the prophet with his favorite kitten, Hurairah (17th century); Kamaleddin Behzad's miniature showing Muhammad contemplating a rose produced by a drop of sweat that fell from his face (19th century)...
Some of these can be seen in museums within the Muslim world...One statue of Muhammad can be seen at the building of the U.S. Supreme Court, where the prophet is honored as one of the great "lawgivers" of mankind.
So if the mainstream Muslim is not truly offended by images of Muhammed, why are they not standing up to the radical elements within their religion, instead of allowing them to speak as if representative of the group as a whole? And why are there no protesters outside the U.S. Supreme Court? And how dare Islamists say America "disrespects" their religion, when we put their most hallowed Prophet onto the halls of our most sacred institution?
Maybe Condi has it right when she accuses the governments of Iran and Syria of instigating these riots within their countries as a political distraction (although the Palestinians needed no such urging - "In the most violent Palestinian protest yet against cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, crowds smashed windows and threw stones Wednesday at the headquarters of international observers, prompting them to quit this volatile West Bank City {Hebron}"); but where are the forces of moderation to stand up to such manipulation and terror?
I need to see them act, before I can be certain they even exist...
WSJ article here: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007934
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