The profane crowding out sacred in Mecca (nearing its end?)

IHT ^ | 03/08/07 | Hassan M. Fattah

[TigerLikesRooster]

The profane crowding out sacred in Mecca By Hassan M. Fattah

Thursday, March 8, 2007 MECCA: Five times a day across the globe, devout Muslims face this city in prayer, focused on a site where they believe the prophet 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 gaze here in their mind's eye, and make the pilgrimage clothed in simple white cotton wraps, they will see something other than the austere black cube known as the Kaaba that occupies the spot. They will also see Starbucks. And Cartier and Tiffany. And H&M and Topshop.

The Abraj Al Bait Shopping Center, one of the largest malls to open in Saudi Arabia, outfitted with flat-panel monitors, neon lights, an amusement park ride, fast-food restaurants and a lingerie shop, is being 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 hajj pilgrimage in December, is the first in a $13 billion construction boom in Mecca that promises to change how this city, forbidden to everyone but Muslims, looks and feels.

[Terriergal]

are you trying to hijack this thread? :-)

[Gamecock]

Wasn't my intent.

Better go find a local Warren thread! ;-)

[johniegrad]

I wonder if I could move into that mall and open a HajjCo store where I could sell cheap Chinese imitations of Buddy Mohammed or plastic bomb belts? If I could get a foot in the door, I might be able to open a Famous Dave's.

[Terriergal]

LOL!

[ViLaLuz]

I wonder what the Islamic subconscious had in mind when they chose that shape.

[bert]

Catholics aren't allowed in Mecca

[Tribune7]

How do you flush it? Some kind of electric eye thing?

[KSoldier]

I am sure tourism there is expected to explode in the next few years.

-pun intended

[finnigan2]

"I bet you won't find any pork BBQ in that mall."

- It's funny you should mention that. Just last year, my financial adviser, Bombastic Bushkin, advised me to invest my life savings in a new, crispy pork rinds fast food outlet planned for the Mecca Mall.