That’s just the thing, Islam does not forbid the depiction of Muhammad. Only the more zealous sects have problems and some sects have openly depicted him in art and architecture for over a thousand years.
Wikipedia said:
The Qur’an does not explicitly forbid images of Muhammad, but there are a few hadith (supplemental traditions) which have explicitly prohibited Muslims from creating the visual depictions of figures under any circumstances. Most contemporary Sunni Muslims believe that visual depictions of the prophets generally should be prohibited, and they are particularly averse to visual representations of Muhammad.[3] The key concern is that the use of images can encourage idolatry, where the image becomes more important than what it represents. In Islamic art, some visual depictions only show Muhammad with his face veiled, or symbolically represent him as a flame; other images, notably from Persia of the Ilkhanate, and those made under the Ottomans, show him fully.[1]
Other Muslims have taken a more relaxed view. Most Shi’a scholars accept respectful depictions and use illustrations of Muhammad in books and architectural decoration, as have Sunnis at various points in the past.[4] However, many Muslims who take a stricter view of the supplemental traditions, will sometimes challenge any depiction of Muhammad, including those created and published by non-Muslims.[5]
There’s also a depiction of Muhammad in the US Supreme Court building, in it he’s seen carrying a sword and the Quran. Where’s the outcry here?
A group of Muslims started a petition for Wikipedia to take down their pictures in the Muhammad article. Wiki told them to *edited* off and guess what happened? Nothing. The whole protest movement died. Know why? Because Wiki demonstrated they have backbone and the balls to stand for what they believe in. I wish more companies and people in the US would do the same…
Answer me this. If the original reason for barring depictions of Muhammad was to prevent idolatry, why does it matter to them when a depiction is published to an audience that is almost entirely non-Muslim. It shouldn’t matter because we can’t be idolaters to a religious figure we don’t believe in. If anything, the interest in the Muhammad depiction could potentially bring people into the religion. There’s irony for you…