Moon and Star (Part I)

Look at the below image, then read the prayer that follows…consider it for a while, visualise it in your head, and then answer the questions that follow:

Prayer To Diana

Lovely Goddess of the bow!
Lovely Goddess of the arrows!
Of all hounds and of all hunting
Thou who wakest in starry heaven
When the sun is sunk in slumber
Thou with moon upon they forehead,
Who the chase by night preferrest
Unto hunting in the daylight,
With thy nymphs unto the music
Of the horn-thyself the huntress,
And most powerful: I pray thee
Think, although but for an instant,
Upon us who pray unto thee!

1. Would you, as a Muslim, pray to this woman for your needs?
2. Would you bow to her, at her feet, or perhaps rest your forehead on her hands in worship?
3. From a different perspective, would you perform your salaah in a church that is still decorated with statues and crucifixes?

If you answered ‘No’ to all the above, and I pray that you did, then why are we so complacent about praying in a masjid that has the very same symbol of this same woman proudly placed at the top of the dome and minaret, incorporated into the logos and letterheads, embellished in sand blasted designs on the glass doors and windows, and intricately woven into the designs of our musallahs/carpets? 

There is no doubt about the origins of the moon and star in Islam. It has no place. Period! It was never used during the time of the noble prophet (SAW), nor was it used for hundreds of years after his demise. It was first used by the Ottoman army after their conquering of the city of Constantinople and it was adopted as a symbol of the army, along with the star of King Richard who was celebrated in Constantinople before the Muslims took control. 

Before the 14th century, the crescent and star does not seem to have been associated with Islam at all, and appears in Christian iconography.^{[20] [21] ~ Wikipedia}

Another article worth quoting states:

Incidentally, the ‘Golden Age of Islam’ that we all reminisce so passionately about came to a close about the mid-l5th century with the fall of Spain and the invasion of the Mongols. This was about the same time that ‘the star and crescent’ started to be hoisted up as the banner or representation of Muslims. We’ve never been able to regain that greatness again. Coincidence? ~ Rafael Narbaez Jr.

Yet, we now have this most despicable of symbols embellishing the minarets of the most sacred sites of Islam, namely the Harams, and we have ignorant Muslims from around the world using pictures of these designs as justification for the installation of these same pagan symbols on mosques that are being built today. And during all of this, our impotent Ulama are saying that they agree that it has no place in Islam, but that they would prefer to deal with the matter subtly so as not to upset the community!

So I ask you again, would you bow down before a cross, or a statue of Mary or Jesus?

Then why do you bow down before a pagan goddess? Or do you believe that in this case intention outweighs practice?