Changing essence of Makkah 3/10/2007 - Social - Article Ref: NT0703-3251 Number of comments: 30 Opinion Summary: Agree:9 Disagree:15 Neutral:6 By: Hassan M. Fattah New York Times* - MECCA, Saudi Arabia - Five times a day across the globe devout Muslims face this city in prayer, focused on a site where they believe Abraham built a temple to God. The spot is also the place Muslims are expected to visit at least once in their lives. Now as they make the pilgrimage clothed in simple white cotton wraps, they will see something other than the stark black cube known as the Kaaba, which is literally the center of the Muslim world. They will also see Starbucks. And Cartier and Tiffany. And H&M and Topshop. The Abraj al Bait Mall - one of the largest in Saudi Arabia, outfitted with flat-panel monitors with advertisements and announcements, neon lights, an amusement park ride, fast-food restaurants and a lingerie shop - has been built directly across from Islam's holiest site. Not everyone considers this progress. "Mecca is becoming like Las Vegas, and that is a disaster," said Ali al-Ahmed, director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs in Washington, a Saudi opposition research organization. "It will have a disastrous effect on Muslims because going to Mecca will have no feeling. There is no charm anymore. All you see is glass and cement." The mall, which opened a week before the annual pilgrimage, called the hajj, in December, is the first phase in a $13 billion construction boom in Mecca that promises to change how this city, forbidden to everyone but Muslims, looks and feels. The Abraj al Bait housing and hotel complex, a 1.5-million-square-yard development that will include a towering hotel, has begun to redraw the skyline of this ancient religious city. When the project is completed in 2009, it will include the seventh tallest building in the world, its developers say, with a hospital, hotels and prayer halls. A public-announcement system pipes in prayers from the Grand Mosque across the way, and worshipers can join the masses simply by opening their draperies. In nearby Jabal Omar, an entire mountain is being flattened to make way for a huge hotel and high-rise complex. And elsewhere, cranes dot the skyline with up to 130 new high-rise towers planned for the area. "This is the end of Mecca," said Dr. Irfan Ahmed in London. He has formed the Islamic Heritage Foundation to try to preserve the Islamic history of Mecca, Medina, the second holiest city, and other important religious sites in Saudi Arabia. "Before, even in the days of the Ottomans, none of the buildings in Mecca towered higher than the Grand Mosque. Now these are much higher and more disrespectful." Money is certainly one of the motivators in the building boom. Every year, up to four million people descend on this city during the pilgrimage, while a stream continues to flow through here during the year, spending an average $2,000 to $3,000 to stay, eat and shop. Billboards along the way to Mecca remind investors of the potential earnings from owning an apartment here; some claim a 25 percent return on investment. Advertisements on Arab satellite television channels remind viewers that "you, too, can have the opportunity to enjoy this blessed view." Muhammad al-Abboud, a real estate agent, recounts tales of Pakistani businessmen plunking down $15 million to buy several apartments at a time. Saudi princes own entire floors. A three-bedroom apartment here runs about $3 million, Mr. Abboud said. One directly overlooking the Grand Mosque can reach $5 million. Critics of the development complain that the result is gated communities where worshipers can separate themselves from the crowds, thereby violating the spirit of the hajj, where all stand equal before God. "All of Mecca is a sanctuary," Mr. Abboud said. "So how could something like this not be snapped up?" But some groups say the building boom also has religious motives. They accuse the archconservative Salafi, who hold great sway in Saudi Arabia, of seeking to eliminate historic spots, fearing that these sites would become objects of worship themselves. Dr. Ahmed of London has cataloged the destruction of more than 300 separate antiquity sites, including cemeteries and mosques. He says the house where the Prophet Muhammad lived was razed and today a dilapidated library, with its windows and doors shuttered, stands in its place. "It is not respecting the Kaaba, not respecting the house of God or the environment of the sanctuary," Sami Angawi, a Saudi architect who wants to preserve Mecca's heritage, said of the development. "You are not supposed to even cut a tree in this city, so how could you blow up a mountain? The Islamic laws have been broken." Progress has exacted a heavy price in Mecca. More pilgrims than ever can come here, thanks to billions spent on tunnels and infrastructure to accommodate them. But in exchange, the city's once famed night market, where pilgrims brought their wares to sell, is gone. The Meccan homes and buildings that filled the area near the mosque were demolished in the 1970s to enlarge the mosque. The neighborhoods and families who lived near the mosque and welcomed pilgrims have long since moved away. Mecca has long been a commercial as well as a religious center, but increasingly global brands dominate here. Mr. Angawi, the Saudi architect, has led a lonely campaign within the kingdom to bring attention to the destruction of the historic sites. Dr. Ahmed has worked to lobby Asian and Arab governments to press the Saudis to stop such demolitions. And Mr. Ahmed, in Washington, has built a database of the historic spots now destroyed. Many Muslims inside and outside Saudi Arabia have remained silent about the issues, they say, fearing the loss of financing from Saudi Arabia for religious institutions and projects. Saudi officials say they have been painstakingly preserving the Islamic artifacts they find, and operate two small museums in Mecca. In all, they say, more than $19 billion has been spent on preserving the country's Muslim heritage. They dismiss their critics as cranks who have no following. Developers and real estate agents, meanwhile, say the construction makes room for even more Muslims to take part in the hajj, and therefore serves the greater good. That suggests that the changes are far from over. "Mecca has never been changed like it has now," Mr. Angawi said. "What you see now is only 10 percent of what's to come. What is coming is much, much worse." Hassan M. Fattah writing for The New York Times source

I choose to simply go by the following: Volume 7, Book 62, Number 128: Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The Prophet said, "All of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards. The ruler is a guardian and the man is a guardian of his family; the lady is a guardian and is responsible for her husband's house and his offspring; and so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards." Saxiix Bukhari Narrated 'Abdullah Allah's Apostle said, "Everyone of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charges. The ruler who has authority over people, is a guardian and is responsible for them, a man is a guardian of his family and is responsible for them; a woman is a guardian of her husband's house and children and is responsible for them; a slave ('Abu) is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible for it; so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your charges." Saxiix Bukhari Is it the 'responsibility' of the Muslim parents to protect their kid(s) from sins and the 'normalisation' thereof? Simple answer should be YES. How one chooses to do this and whether its the right way is a different question though.

Who elected him?

Was he hiding in bushes? Mise gaariga qaadku so raacey?

What is stopping anyone of us from sponsoring an orphan? Nothing!

^^What do the Somalinet crew have to do with this? Please explain.

Miyu duumanayey?

In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, elders of the locally-dominant ****** clan tell VOA that the interim government's plan to disarm civilians there by force will only ignite clan warfare and bring more instability. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu has more from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi. Struggling to assert control in the violence-wracked capital, the Somali transitional government announced on Sunday that its troops will soon begin conducting a massive, house-to-house search for weapons throughout Mogadishu. Deputy Defense Minister Salad Ali Jelle says it is the intention of the government to disarm all civilians and bring security to the capital within 30 days. In a telephone interview with VOA, the leaders of the dominant ****** clan in Mogadishu voiced strong objections to the disarmament plan. Clan elder Abdulkadir Haji Muse says the biggest concern is who will be doing the disarming. He says most of the interim government troops patrolling the city are not from Mogadishu, but from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. Moreover, the soldiers are members of ****** clan's chief rival, the *****. Puntland is the home of interim President Abdullahi Yusuf, who is a *****. Muse says a move to disarm Mogadishu residents by force would be viewed by many people not as an effort by President Yusuf to bring security, but a move to marginalize and disenfranchise the ******. The clan elder says he and many others are convinced that the disarmament plan is a ***** attempt to politically and militarily weaken the ******. Muse says his clan, which dominated the ousted Islamic Courts Union, will never accept government orders to disarm. Somalia's multi-clan, U.N.-backed interim government tried to disarm civilians in Mogadishu two months ago, but postponed the process after hundreds of angry people rioted in the city. Government officials say they will not back down this time because disarmament is the only way African peacekeepers can safely take control of the city's security. The peacekeepers are to replace thousands of Ethiopian troops, whose military support of the interim government was crucial in driving out the Islamists in late December. But many Somalis in the city view the Ethiopians as an invading force and the government they are protecting has been unable to gain popular support. Since January, both government and Ethiopian troops have come under near-daily attack from insurgents, who are believed to be radical Islamists, operating in cooperation with some disgruntled ****** factional militias. About 1,000 troops from Uganda are already in Mogadishu as the vanguard of a planned eight-thousand member African Union peacekeeping mission to Somalia. But another ****** clan leader, Khalid Hussein Abdi, tells VOA that their presence is not welcome. Abdi says he believes the peacekeepers will do nothing but support militias from Puntland and ***** clan members, who are planning to subjugate the ******. Violence against the Ugandan peacekeepers began as soon as they arrived in Mogadishu last Tuesday, when they were greeted with a mortar barrage near the airport. The following day, insurgents ambushed a convoy of peacekeepers and on Friday, a cargo plane, carrying equipment and several Ugandan soldiers, landed at the Mogadishu airport in flames. The Ugandan military said the plane had experienced mechanical problems and caught fire. But VOA has learned from reliable sources that the plane was hit by at least one rocket-propelled grenade fired from the ground . source

In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, elders of the locally-dominant ****** clan tell VOA that the interim government's plan to disarm civilians there by force will only ignite clan warfare and bring more instability. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu has more from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi. Struggling to assert control in the violence-wracked capital, the Somali transitional government announced on Sunday that its troops will soon begin conducting a massive, house-to-house search for weapons throughout Mogadishu. Deputy Defense Minister Salad Ali Jelle says it is the intention of the government to disarm all civilians and bring security to the capital within 30 days. In a telephone interview with VOA, the leaders of the dominant ****** clan in Mogadishu voiced strong objections to the disarmament plan. Clan elder Abdulkadir Haji Muse says the biggest concern is who will be doing the disarming. He says most of the interim government troops patrolling the city are not from Mogadishu, but from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. Moreover, the soldiers are members of ****** clan's chief rival, the *****. Puntland is the home of interim President Abdullahi Yusuf, who is a *****. Muse says a move to disarm Mogadishu residents by force would be viewed by many people not as an effort by President Yusuf to bring security, but a move to marginalize and disenfranchise the ******. The clan elder says he and many others are convinced that the disarmament plan is a ***** attempt to politically and militarily weaken the ******. Muse says his clan, which dominated the ousted Islamic Courts Union, will never accept government orders to disarm. Somalia's multi-clan, U.N.-backed interim government tried to disarm civilians in Mogadishu two months ago, but postponed the process after hundreds of angry people rioted in the city. Government officials say they will not back down this time because disarmament is the only way African peacekeepers can safely take control of the city's security. The peacekeepers are to replace thousands of Ethiopian troops, whose military support of the interim government was crucial in driving out the Islamists in late December. But many Somalis in the city view the Ethiopians as an invading force and the government they are protecting has been unable to gain popular support. Since January, both government and Ethiopian troops have come under near-daily attack from insurgents, who are believed to be radical Islamists, operating in cooperation with some disgruntled ****** factional militias. About 1,000 troops from Uganda are already in Mogadishu as the vanguard of a planned eight-thousand member African Union peacekeeping mission to Somalia. But another ****** clan leader, Khalid Hussein Abdi, tells VOA that their presence is not welcome. Abdi says he believes the peacekeepers will do nothing but support militias from Puntland and ***** clan members, who are planning to subjugate the ******. Violence against the Ugandan peacekeepers began as soon as they arrived in Mogadishu last Tuesday, when they were greeted with a mortar barrage near the airport. The following day, insurgents ambushed a convoy of peacekeepers and on Friday, a cargo plane, carrying equipment and several Ugandan soldiers, landed at the Mogadishu airport in flames. The Ugandan military said the plane had experienced mechanical problems and caught fire. But VOA has learned from reliable sources that the plane was hit by at least one rocket-propelled grenade fired from the ground . source

Rudy, are you saying a woman should not cover up?

Caamir, I know your stance is similar to his but what was so beautiful about it other than your agreement? An attempted justification for employing yesterday’s killers as ‘ministers’ today does not answer my earlier questions. I repeat: How will the TFG gain the trust of the people considering its members were warlords who kept Somalia in chaos for 16 years?

^^You mean the warlords that are 'ministers' today ya Caamir? Or are you going to accuse me of fabrication?

Caamir I'll take that as 'i dont have a clue' towards my questions shall i?

^^Take your time saxib but i'm looking for replies from the hardcore supporters. They seem to be running around other parts of the forum but not in this thread.

a DEAFENING silence!

Cambarro, look what you started! 7 pages in less than 24 hours. A new record?

^^Saxib its aimed mainly at those who find it dificult to go due to financial reasons. People dont go for free, its significantly cheaper as its only next door and a bus ride away though. This is a new scheme and is free for it may be difficult for.So if you know of anyone who would like to go then tell them to get to a adib branch and register.

^^Funny thing is they are planning to sit down with these same 'terrorists' in reconiliation meetings scheduled for next month.

^^Amiin. Sad indeed.

^^Why not just skip the queue and give the money and number (thats if your not expecting change). No one will take it as being rude. I often owe a number of people money simply because i dont carry cash! Its not that i'm afriad of being robbed.

Can you think of anyone who would like to go? As forwarded to me, please forward it to any one you know who is deserving and residing in UAE. Brothers in Islam - this is an opportunity for those who have not performed UMRA so far. It is free. Please let your friends and relatives know about it. May Allah bless you all. This Umrah package is offered from Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank - sponsored for deserving candidates. Umrah Program adib Application Criteria: *Applicant has to be at least 18 years old *Applicant must have not performed Umrah before *Applicant must be a local or an expat with a valid residence in UAE *Applicant should accept and comply with program terms and conditions Applicant can apply once only Draw Dates 07/01/2007 07/03/2007 07/05/2007 08/07/2007 20-25/01/2007 20-25/03/2007 20-25/05/2007 20-25/07/2007 The Pilgrim's package for Umrah will include: (1) Travel from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah and return on Etihad?s Coral class (2) Accommodation for three nights/four days in four star hotel (3) Transportation from Jeddah airport to hotel in Mekkah and return (4) A Holy Quran, an Ihram Dress and an Umrah Manasek Booklet (5) Three meals a day in an open buffet (6) Visa issuance fee (for expatriate pilgrims) JAZAK ALLAHU KHAIR

Tellytubbies? Spunch bob square pants? Simpsons?

eh, skip it , don't answer , cause i can't say the same about ya Maybe she doesnt want you to ya JB :confused:

To bad i dont have the channels (not gonna fork out 20 pounds a month for minimum 5 months just to catch one months action) No woman no cry,,,,,,,,,, I'm with my bearded brothers!

The President of the Republic of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, speaking to Associated Press in Djibouti, Monday, March 5, 2007. The president said on Monday, the region is no safer since an Islamic group accused of having ties with Al-Qaida was driven out of Somalia (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim) DJIBOUTI, March 05, 2007 – The Horn of Africa is not safer now that a radical Islamic militia accused of having ties to al-Qaida has been driven from power in Somalia, the president of neighboring Djibouti said Monday. "As far as we are concerned, we think it (security in the Horn of Africa) is as it was before because of the misery and lack of basic needs of the population," President Ismael Omar Guelleh told The Associated Press in a rare interview. He spoke at the presidential palace in this tiny Red Sea state. "People lack basic needs. There is no medicine, no water or services, nothing. They are easily used for criminal activities. That threat still remains," he said. More than 90 million people live in the Horn of Africa countries of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. Most live on less than US$1 (76 euro cents) a day. The region — particularly Somalia, which is emerging from years of anarchy — has been cited as a possible haven for terrorists since the Sept. 11, 2001 al-Qaida terror attacks on the United States. Djibouti is the base for a U.S.-led anti-terrorism task force in the Horn of Africa. More than 1,800 U.S. troops are based at Camp Lemonier, the task force headquarters. Guelleh told The Associated Press that no al-Qaida terrorists or sophisticated weapons had been found. Somalia's government had linked the Islamic group to al-Qaida. The government, backed by Ethiopian troops, ousted the Islamic movement in December. Djibouti , a former French colony neighboring Somalia and Ethiopia, played a key role in establishing a Somali transitional government in 2000 that eventually collapsed. The administration was replaced after lengthy negotiations by the current administration, set up in 2004 with U.N. backing. Guelleh, who was returned to power in 2005 elections where he was the only candidate, said foreign peacekeepers can help offer security in the country but not lasting peace. "The stabilization force will help but they cannot play the role of government, or parliament or clan or religious leaders ...," he said. "There was a possible justification (for the ousting of the Islamic group), but we have not seen the evidence yet," the president added. Source: AP