The destruction of Mecca

[T_i_B]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article304029.ece

Historic Mecca, the cradle of Islam, is being buried in an unprecedented onslaught by religious zealots. Almost all of the rich and multi-layered history of the holy city is gone. The Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates that 95 per cent of millennium-old buildings have been demolished in the past two decades.

The driving force behind the demolition campaign that has transformed these cities is Wahhabism. This, the austere state faith of Saudi Arabia, was imported by the al-Saud tribal chieftains when they conquered the region in the 1920s.

The motive behind the destruction is the Wahhabists' fanatical fear that places of historical and religious interest could give rise to idolatry or polytheism, the worship of multiple and potentially equal gods.

The Wahhabists now have the birthplace of the Prophet in their sights. The site survived redevelopment early in the reign of King Abdul al-Aziz ibn Saud 50 years ago when the architect for a library there persuaded the absolute ruler to allow him to keep the remains under the new structure. That concession is under threat after Saudi authorities approved plans to "update" the library with a new structure that would concrete over the existing foundations and their priceless remains.

[brokensymmetry]

1. Interesting!

It sounds as if they're about to destroy what they love. Ironic, isn't it?

[izzie]

2. Par for one group taking over another.

Look what Cromwell did in England and look what Lenin did in Russia. The list is long and always sad.

[JDPriestly]

3. Don't forget

The Taliban in Afghanistan and the destruction in Cambodia. Here in the US we destroy our heritage through neglect and reluctance to invest in it. We leave the preservation of our historical sites up to private non-profits and the whims of wealthy donors. We need to have a movement to promote government funding of our national treasures.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. One thing you don't understand

that isn't mentioned in the article. Sufis revere sacred sites, and make pilgrimages to the tombs of saints, and to their houses and places of worship. Wahhabists, starting with their founder, have very negative opinions of Sufis. (The Wahhabist sect started after its founder was denied the spiritual rank of Shaykh by a local Sufi order). Part of the reason this destruction is going on is so that Sufis cannot have their sacred shrines.

[T_i_B]

5. There are LOTS of things in Islam I don't understand

but I pulled out the bits about Wahhabism, as opposed to bits about concrete buildings going up in their place for a reason, because I thought that you might be interested ayeshahaqqiqa.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. I appreciate you!

Thank you for doing that, and being aware that Islam is not a monolithic religion where everyone is a Wahhabi. I think it is important for folks to know that, and that there is another dimension to the destruction of buildings.

[PsychoDad]

8. I think when you look as to why...

You will find one of the oldest reasons known to man.

Money.

There is no desire here to thwart idolitary, quite the contrary, this is all about the worship of the almighty dollar (or in this case the riyal.

Firstly, real estate prices are at a premium in these two cities where millions come each year for ummrah and hajj. Secondly, look at the buildings that are going up over these historical sites, hotels, restaraunts, etc.. all commercial properties.

Money. Plain and simple.

I think, if they could get away with it, the saudi royals would replace the kabbah with an atm. Astagfirallah!

[T_i_B]

9. Which does bring me to that part of the article

From the article...

"On the tailcoats of the religious zealots have come commercial developers keen to fill the historic void left by demolitions with lucrative high-rises.

"The man-made history of Mecca has gone and now the Mecca that God made is going as well." Says Dr Angawi. "The projects that are coming up are going to finish them historically, architecturally and environmentally," he said.

With the annual pilgrimage expected to increase five-fold to 20 million in the coming years as Saudi authorities relax entry controls, estate agencies are seeing a chance to cash in on huge demand for accommodation. "The infrastructure at the moment cannot cope. New hotels, apartments and services are badly needed," the director of a leading Saudi estate agency told Reuters.

Despite an estimated $13bn in development cash currently washing around Mecca, Saudi sceptics dismiss the developers' argument. "The service of pilgrims is not the goal really," says Mr Ahmed. "If they were concerned for the pilgrims, they would have built a railroad between Mecca and Jeddah, and Mecca and Medina. They are removing any historical landmark that is not Saudi-Wahhabi, and using the prime location to make money," he says."

[PsychoDad]

7. Another view of the story

Demolition of Islam's Historical Sites
7/20/2005 - Social - Article Ref: IV0507-2748
By: Dr. Aslam Abdullah
Iviews* -


Supported by Princes and top government officials Saudi Arabia's real estate developers are considering the demolition of some of Islam's historic sites in Mecca, possibly including the home of Prophet Mohammed .

The 1,400-year-old buildings from the early Islamic period are at risk for being demolished to make way for high-rise towers for Muslims flocking to perform the annual pilgrimage to Islam's holiest city.

As said by a historian in Makkah "Its layers of history are being bulldozed for a parking lot".

Over the past 50 years at least 300 historical buildings have been leveled in Mecca and Medina.

A number of Islamic landmarks have been destroyed since Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932. A 1994 edict by the kingdom's senior council of religious scholars, ruled that preserving historical buildings mig ht lead to polytheism.

This edict is conveniently being used by real estate developers to expand their projects. The real estate firms say that their projects are in response to a massive demand for new accommodation to house up to 20 million pilgrims expected to visit Makkah and Media annually over the coming years as authorities relax entry restrictions for pilgrims.

Developers are spending around 50 billion riyals ($13 billion) on projects in the city.

One of the most elaborate project is the 10 billion riyal Jabal Omar scheme. Covering a 230,000 square yard area adjacent to the Grand Mosque, the seven-year project consists of several towers containing hotels, apartments, shops and restaurants.

These developments will dwarf Mecca's Grand Mosque and are a sign of crass commercialization.

Makkah is a religious city and a sanctuary for millions who visit it every year to attain peace and atonement. The Saudi government has allowed unbridled commercialization of the house of God to please the commercial sector that has close ties with the royal family. The royal family has several high-rise palaces in Makkah and Medina that standout as symbols of extravagance, that are in stark contrast to the principals of austerity taught by Islam and shown by the example by Prophet Muhammad .

Saudi monarchy has developed a strong alliance with the religious hierarchy of Saudi Arabia. The religious leadership does not speak on matters pertaining to justice and fairness, two of the most important fundamentals of Islam, while the monarchy does not interfere in the affairs of religious hierarchy. The religious hierarchy has rarely challenged the Saudi royal family on matters pertaining to the demolition of historical sites of Islam. On the contrary they have provoked the authoriti es to demolish them thus creating a haven of commercial benefits for people closer to the royal family. Saudi Arabia's rulers have often ignored the fact that the religious sites do not belong to them. They are for Muslims all over the world. The Saudi government needs to be challenged on this issue. Perhaps Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) should launch an official protest with Saudi Arabia and involve the UN that is so keen to preserve historical sites all around the world.

Muslims all over the world have kept quiet for almost eight decades watching the Saudi government demolish historical sites under various pretexts. It is time that we speak against such a practice and inform the authorities that they need to preserve the history Islam.