From the Council on American Islamic Relations Tenth Anniversary Report (pdf):
In 1997, CAIR continued to rely on the strength of its numbers to challenge inappropriate portrayals of Islam. In March, many American Muslims asked the U.S. Supreme Court to remove a carved stone depiction of a sword-wielding Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), Islam's revered prophet, from its courtroom wall. While appreciating the fact that Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was included in the court's pantheon of 18 prominent lawgivers of history, CAIR noted that Islam discouraged its followers from portraying any prophet in paintings, sculptures or other artistic representations. Moreover, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was shown with the Quran, Islam’s Holy Book, in one hand and a sword in the other, reinforcing long-held stereotypes of Muslims as intolerant conquerors, a CAIR official said.As Liberman reports, Chief Justice Rehnquist rightly gave the request short shrift.
