Mecca has been holy since before Mohammed. Prophet Abraham built the Kaba. In the years since Abraham's death Mecca became a haven for idolaters.Mohammed restored Mecca back to the house of God. Not Idols. Mohammed made the pilgrimage to Mecca because the Kaba is the house of God built by Abraham. Muslims are not required to make pilgrimage to medina. some visit there to see the first Mosque. Muslims do not "worship" anyone other than God (Allah) They do not worship Mohammed, Jesus, or any of the other prophets. Muslims believe Jesus to be the messiah and teach of his return .
They consider him one of the greatest of Gods messengers to mankind. The Quran confirms his virgin birth, and a chapter of the Quran is entitled ‘Maryam’ (Mary). The Quran describes the birth of Jesus as follows:
(Remember) when the angels said, “O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him (God), whose name is the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, revered in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (to God). He will speak to the people from his cradle and as a man, and he is of the righteous.” She said, “My Lord, how can I have a child when no mortal has touched me?” He said, “So (it will be). God creates what He wills. If He decrees a thing, He says to it only, ‘Be!’ and it is.” (Quran, 3:45-47)
Jesus was born miraculously by the command of God which had brought Adam into being without a father. God has said:
The case of Jesus with God is like the case of Adam. He created him from dust, and then He said to him, “Be!” and he came into being. (Quran, 3:59)
During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. God tells us that Jesus said:
“I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I make for you the shape of a bird out of clay, I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Gods permission. I heal the blind from birth and the leper. And I bring the dead to life by Gods permission. And I tell you what you eat and what you store in your houses....” (Quran, 3:49)
The Ayatollah was a Shiite Muslim.
There are many offshoots of Islam. 80% of the 1 billion muslims in the world are Sunni, there's also Shiite, Sufi's to name a couple more. Then you have the Radical extremists who say and commit horrible things and attribute them to Islam. For example would you say that Jim Jones is a good representative of Christians? Of course not..
Muslims believe God sent the Quran to Mohammed. It took twenty-three years to complete. The hadith (bukari) are the words of Mohammed.
Carrying around a picture of OBL does not mean one "worships" him.
One thing you have right is that Muslims are not supposed to elevate any man or worship any image. Then you contradict yourself by saying that if they had a photo of Mohammed it would be one the wall in muslim homes.
This is funny, because some Protestants believe that Catholics "worship" Mary. In the early days of the Reformation they stripped Catholic Churches of art and white-washed the walls very much as Muslims did to Christian churches they took over. Therefore, some Protestants -- such as the write at the top-- feel a kind of kindship with another religion that is also regards Scripture as the literal Word of God, and its writers as simple reciters of that Word.
I have read the Koran. There are verses telling Muslims to enslave and kill infidels if they don't practice Islam. I know about what the Muslims think about Jesus and Mary. I'll take my Christian Jesus, thank you. I will let others worship in whatever way they wish so long as they leave me alone to do the same. That's what I like about America and find hard to like about some Muslim countries. Americans have free will and choice. Saudi Arabia is Sunni. Iran is Suffi. There is only one way to worship in these countries and that is Islam. Bibles are forbidden and so are the practicing of other religions.
Both branches of Islam have religious fanatics that many Muslims revere. Some Muslims carry pictures of their heroes around. They are happy when Americans die. It's not just ignorant Taliban Muslim guys who want to take freedoms from people. I see lots of Muslims from Gaza, Pakistan and Indonesia who worship Osama Bin Laden like he was a savior and want me dead.