Saudis consider banning women from Mecca

[deadparrot]

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Officials are considering an unprecedented proposal to ban women from performing the five Muslim prayers in the immediate vicinity of Islam's most sacred shrine in Mecca. Some say women are already being kept away.

The issue has raised a storm of protest across the kingdom, with some women saying they fear the move is meant to restrict women's roles in Saudi society even further. But the religious authorities behind the proposal insist its real purpose is to lessen the chronic problem of overcrowding, which has led to deadly riots during pilgrimages at Mecca in the past.

It was unclear why the step was being considered now, but officials say they have growing concerns about overcrowding, particularly at Mecca's Grand Mosque. The mosque contains the Kaaba, a large stone structure that Muslims around the world face during their daily prayers.

The chief of the King Fahd Institute for Hajj Research, which came up with the plan, told The Associated Press Thursday that the new restrictions are already in place. There have been word-of-mouth reports of women being asked to pray at new locations away from the white-marbled area surrounding the Kaaba in recent weeks.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060907/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saudi_banning_women

[FloridaPat]

1. Muhammad would be proud - not.

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. The Prophet is spinning in his grave.

[Fredda Weinberg]

4. The Prophet, blessed be his name, was a merchant

who appreciated the value of pilgrimage. He'd be delighted with the throng bringing their sense of community - and spending money - to sites he established as holy.

Don't argue with success.

[NashVegas]

15. Who Consummated His Marriage to a 9 Year Old

Great guy.

[dionysus]

18. oh yea muslims are evil and shit an we should kill em

cuz you bought hook line and sinker the RW meme he was a pedophile? excuse me while i wretch you hateful tool

[PsychoDad]

21. Old propaganda...

If you examine the hadeeths closely and consider the age of Aiesha's sister who was 10 years older at the time of the Hiraj then Aishia's age at the time of the wedding with Mohammad (pbuh) woulld be closer to between 16 to 18.

[WhiteTara]

3. I wonder what men would do if women closed

the true gates of paradise to them. I mean all women all over the world closed every gate and every portal of heaven to men, how long would it take for world peace to ensue? :shrug:

[JerseygirlCT]

10. Lysistrata writ large... nt

[dorktv]

5. You know, if they had just said "okay, we are going to stop everyone

from coming at once...maybe then it would not be so bad but this is just WRONG!

[daleo]

6. More religious stupidity

It is as stupid as not allowing women to be priests.

[Gato Moteado]

8. exactly

maybe the women should consider themselves lucky about the whole thing. i'm less concerned about how the saudis decide to run their goofy religion in their country and more concerned about their other treatment of women.

[Gato Moteado]

7. it's hard to give a shit about this.....

first of all, it's the saudis (friends of repukes everywhere) and it's not like it's shocking they would do something like this.

secondly, it's an organized religion, something that shouldn't be taken seriously anyway. who cares how the friggin' muslims want to run their religion? same goes for the jews, christians and hindus and the rest.

anyone who thinks they're going to find spirituality in a religion that thinks it has all the answers (that goes for all religions) is lost anyway.

[mcscajun]

9. I recall reading in the last year or so, that one of the problems

was repeated pilgrimages by the same people. My understanding is that the requirement is One pilgrimage if possible be made by every observant Muslim ONCE in their life. No need to make a habit out of it.

So...if they kept those repeat visitors away, perhaps there'd be room for the rest? :shrug:

Nothing any organized religion does to oppress women surprises me in the least, though.

[VegasWolf]

11. Yes, and Catholics ban women as priests. Religion, go figure. nt

[cliss]

12. Well the question here is, how will the women react?

What is their point of view, and will they take it personally? In my opinion, muslim women have typically accepted their status without too much complaint.

Right?

Or am I reading things wrong here? And again, what is the loss? If it means eliminating 50% of the pilgrims who make their way to the mecca, maybe it's an acceptable decision. Most of these people have already been there, so this would be a 'repeat' pilgrimage. Maybe they should make it a lottery to see the rock, or let those go in who have never been there before, women or non-women...

Just trying to come up with some solutions here.:smoke:

[daleo]

20. Agreed, a lottery would be the fairest way to deal with this

And the point about "one pilgrimage per customer" would be valid too.

On edit - If they were up on the spirit of modern capitalism, they would have an auction.

[Demeter]

13. What? No Ladies Day?

That's the way the civilized world would handle their misogyny.

[LiberalFighter]

16. They want to have a ladies only place for gym workouts

for beaches and I don't know what else. At least in non-muslim countries.

If they really want to restrict access to their shrine then why don't they keep the women out of the country. It would be much much more easier to control what the women do. Then they could worship all day long without the women interfering with their sacred duty.

[Anakin Skywalker]

14. And Here in America......

all the bars have a Ladies Night once a week! Take that! :)

[Zenlitened]

17. The religion-besotted don't even bother to tell their lies with any skill.

I mean... "Gee, it's crowded" leads directly to "Ban the women!" ... but it's nothing against you gals, heh heh.

Well, maybe a few more eyes will be opened. Maybe a few more women will see the futility and indignity of worshiping gods made by men in their own frightened and gimlet-eyed image, petty lords constructed by petulant fools who can only feel real when they're dragging someone down.

Maybe a few more minds have been set free today, ready to bid goodbye to another imaginary man in the sky, and all his simpering minions.

[Erika]

19. W always has the Saudi prince visit him in Texas

Why don't the Bushbots question this?

[PsychoDad]

22. This should bring Outrage through out the Muslim world.

"The prophet, who is the first leader of Muslims, didn't do it," said Mohsen al-Awajy, an Islamist lawyer and cleric. "Those who are proposing the change after him have to come up with legal justification for it."

Al-Awajy urged the Saudi government to put an end to "such a rigid and austere mind-set that could become the core of a violent trend in the future."

Prominent Saudi female writers have written angry editorials denouncing the plan as discriminatory and urging authorities not to adopt it. Some have questioned the reason for changing a tradition that goes back to the dawn of Islam. Others say it further sets back women in the country.




This cannot be allowed. It goes against everything the Prophet (pbuh) taught.

The Saudi Royal family has outlived their usefulness as the keepers of Mecca if this is enacted.

[JI7]

23. our allies