Depiction of Muhammad is not new

Submitted by Deepali (Sweden), Feb 18, 2006 at 11:35

If you think that its only the cartoons that the muslims are showing their anger for, you are wrong. This is outburst of the anger and hatred they have held against the westerners for decades.

Depiction of Muhammad is not new. In fact many portraits of Muhammad have been drawn by Muslim artists before. Here is a list of portraits and statues which could be seen in the museums of many Muslim countries (inclduing Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Uzbekistan):
(Source: Iranian writer Amir Taheri, the Morocco Times)

"• The miniature by Sultan Muhammad-Nur Bokharai (d-1520) 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.

• The painting showing Archangel Gabriel guiding Muhammad into Medina which became the Prophet's capital after he fled from Mecca. (Probably 16th century.)

• The Timurid miniature showing Muhammad and his disciple Abu-Bakar hiding in a cave after fleeing Mecca while their Meccan enemies watch but do not see them.

• Portrait of Muhammad, his face covered with a mask on a pulpit in Medina. (16th century).

• The Isfahan miniature depicting the prophet with his favourite 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).

• The 19th century painting called "Massacre of the Family of the Prophet", showing Muhammad watching as his grandson Hussain is put to death by the Umayyads in Karbala.

• The painting showing Muhammad and seven of his first followers. (18th century).

• Kamal ul-Mulk's portrait of Muhammad showing the prophet holding the Koran in one hand while with the index of another hand he is pointing to the Oneness of God (19th century).

One statue of Muhammad could be seen at the building of the United States' Supreme Court in Washington DC where the prophet is honoured as one of the great "lawgivers" of mankind."

If the Muslims could tolerate these portraits and sculptures of Muhammad for centuries, what has suddenly gone wrong with them? YOU THINK ITS THE SILLY CARTOONS? No dear, they are just showing their angrer against the westerners for insulting them for decades. This anger is for what had been done in Palestine, in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in many other places. When the Lybians protest against Italy, you think they protest over a silly t-shirt of an Italian Minister? No! The seeds of this anger lies in history, in the rivalry between Dido's Carthage and Rome, in old times when Italy made Lybia its colony.

I agree that these Muslims are the main enemies of the West, and that some of these Muslims are actually behaving like caveman now. But why there was no major threats from the Muslim world before the Second World war? If you think that the problems lie in the teaching of Quran then how come the West and the Muslim world did not fight each other earlier (except the crusades, of course!). Quran is being read for the last 1400 years!

Think, and you'll find out that its not only the Muslims who are to be blamed for today's world. Read how the colonies were built, and imagine how you would have behaved if your country was invaded by other people.

East was once raped by the West, and today's conflicts are the offspings of that shameful and filthy coopulation.

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