In late September of 2025, a row erupted in Kanpur when an illuminated board reading "I Love Muhammad" appeared in Rawatpur.
What seemed, to some, like a simple expression of devotion quickly spiralled into controversy. Within days, processions in Bareilly and other Uttar Pradesh cities were met with protests, FIRs, and fierce debates on whether the phrase was religious expression or provocation.
While some focused on law and order, others on politics, let's have a look at where this "I Love Muhammad" symbol came from.
The Original Idea
To trace this, one must go back nearly half a century, not to India or the Middle East, but to New York City in the 1970s. Amid crime, fiscal collapse, and a gloomy public mood, the state of New York commissioned an ad campaign to rebrand itself and boost tourism.
The agency Wells Rich Greene came up with the slogan "I Love New York." And then came graphic designer Milton Glaser, who, in a flash of inspiration during a taxi ride, drew the now-iconic "I ❤️ NY" logo in red crayon on an envelope.
Glaser's design was deceptively simple: the "I" stood for the individual, the heart symbolised emotion, and "NY" referred to place.
He called it in an interview with Huffpost, a perfect mix of clarity and ambiguity. A word, a feeling, and a location coming together in one neat visual sentence. "It's extraordinary and incomprehensible how a little scribble took over the world," Glaser reflected in the HuffPost video.
The logo first appeared in 1977, and almost immediately, it became bigger than the campaign it was designed for. It moved from billboards to T-shirts, mugs, and tote bags, ultimately embedding itself in global pop culture.
Even after 9/11, Glaser reworked it as "I Love NY More Than Ever", adding a bruised heart to symbolise resilience. The logo remains trademarked by New York State's Department of Economic Development, despite its image being reproduced everywhere - from Times Square to street stalls in India.
Glaser's official site. Photo: miltonglaser.com
When 'I Love' Became A Global Template
By the early 2000s, the I LOVE format had become a universal expression of affection, identity, and belonging. Amsterdam built its own civic brand - I amsterdam - while Philadelphia leaned into "With Love, Philadelphia XOXO."
In India, the influence took a more casual, street-level turn. Walk through almost any market - from Connaught Place in Delhi to Colaba Causeway in Mumbai - and you'll find T-shirts, caps, mugs, and fridge magnets, hoardings, and more shouting "I ❤️ Goa," "I ❤️ Delhi," or "I ❤️ Shillong." Today, this "love symbol" also appears across sectors, shops, and high‑end residential areas.
A Reddit user's comment. Photo: Reddit
The heart logo, stripped of its original New York connection, had become part of everyday Indian pop design, cheap, cheerful, and instantly recognisable.
It is from this visual language that "I ❤️ Muhammad" found its footing.
The Indian Remix
The "I Love Muhammad" design wasn't imported directly from any one place - it evolved naturally within the country's already booming "I ❤️" merchandise culture. By the time it appeared on processional banners in Kanpur and Bareilly, it had already seeped into India's visual ecosystem.
The reason for its spread is simple: the design works. The red heart, the English text, and the phrase structure make it immediately recognisable and emotionally clear, even to those outside the faith.
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