In 1901, a statue weighing more than 1,000 pounds depicting the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was placed atop the Supreme Court building in New York, presented as one of the greatest figures in history. It was removed in 1955 following Muslim protests and formal complaints submitted by King Saud, may God have mercy on him.
It later became clear that the statue had been placed there among nine other statues of prominent historical figures by order of President Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Jefferson had relied on the legal principles of these nine figures when drafting the American Constitution, and the statues were intended as a tribute to them.
After persistent efforts by King Saud, along with representatives from other Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, and Egypt, the statue of the Prophet ﷺ was removed from its position atop the court building. This took place on 19 May 1955, when it was transferred to a storage facility and later disposed of permanently.