If this is what they did, then they aren’t true Muslims. I always understood that Muslims held Mary in high regard.
Their regard for Mary is of little import; Islam has for the most part, been very iconoclastic, opposing most, if not all anthropomorphic representations. It was in fact a Sufi mystic who busted the nose of the Sphinx, despite later efforts to blame Napoleonic cannoneers. About the only exception was a brief flourishing of art under the Safavids, whose manuscript art rivaled that of the finest European illuminators.
Many do but you can't refer to Muslims as a monolithic block. ISIS wantonly destroys even religious symbols of Islam if they can somehow tie them to sectarian opposition.
Salvaion, I believe you are not correct here. Sunni Muslims, in particular, -— and other groups as well -— are violent iconoclasts. They would not allow to exist a statue of Mohammad or Ali Bakr, let alone Mary. The Sunnis dynamite the mosques of Shiites and Sufis because they contain paintings/murals of representative art; the Sunnis allow only calligraphy and geometric design, no representation of angel, human or animal.
Any muslim who told you that was lying. They’re allowed to lie. Check that, they’re commanded to lie to “infidels”.
Actually, this is Islam. When they conquer a country one of the first things they do is to tear down the local houses of worship and build a mosque on that land signifying the superiority of islam. Sadly, they Muslims are right in that the worship of Mary is idolatry. Sometimes our enemies know us better than we know ourselves.
They refer to Jesus as the Son of Mary several times in the Koran in an attempt to limit His divinity. In essence they are attempting to say He is only a man...nothing more. The Bible refers to Him as the Son of Mary once.
They could hold Mary in high regard and still regard any image an idol. Not that I care what they think! Islam is demonic possession.