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Prophets statue draws mild rebuke from US Muslim leaders
 | | Ibrahim's the one with the D-cup on his head. I think I've got it down now. |
WASHINGTON: Amid an international outcry over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (PTUI peace be upon him), some Muslim leaders have expressed concern about depictions of the Prophet (may toads infest his underwear peace be upon him) at US public buildings, including the Supreme Court.
At the same time, they draw a sharp contrast between the cartoons, which they consider blasphemous and designed to offend, and statues or sculptures meant to honour the Prophet (salaami salaami baloni peace be upon him) as a historical figure and lawgiver. We have expressed the Muslim communitys concerns about a variety of images of the Prophet Muhammad (may his drip dry clear peace be upon him), whether it be in textbooks, editorial cartoons or even in the Supreme Court, Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said.
The sculpture at the countrys top court is part of a marble frieze depicting 18 influential lawgivers, including Moses, Confucius and Charlemagne. The sculpture shows the Prophet (bees pee peace be upon him) holding the Quran in his left hand and a sword in his right. The frieze has adorned the courtroom since the building opened in 1935. Hooper said that CAIR in the past has requested that the sculpture be removed, as Islamic tradition forbids any depictions of the Prophet (may he always make bail peace be upon him).  The court, however, turned down the request, saying that altering the frieze would compromise its artistic integrity. We still have objections for religious reasons but that doesnt mean we are going to force our views on others, Hooper said. We nonetheless have the obligation to raise our concerns with the relevant party.
| Don't have enough people handy to get togther a good riot, huh? |
Posted by: Fred 2006-02-08 |
