Saudi Arabia declares all atheists are terrorists

[al-Hasani]

Some want the area around the Ka’aba filled and surrounded with shrines. Only then will it get it's "beauty" and appropriate "status". In that case there won't be space to take even a few steps around the Ka’aba.

I wonder if the Iranian semi-servant @Cheetah786 has even looked at the latest plans of extending the Imam Husayn (ra) Shrine in Karbala or the Imam Ali (ra) Mosque in Najaf? He is up for a very bad surprise.

But I guess that the extravagant design and all the kilograms of gold used for those domes, contrary to the teachings of Islam about modesty are more important than actually holy places serving their correct purpose which is that of enabling as many Muslims to visit.

Not a big fan of Abraj Al Bait but modern hotels is a necessary evil if pilgrims are to be accompanied. In any case it will probably get demolished one day as previous buildings have been for hundreds of years. Way before Islam as well.

 

[Jf Thunder]

Do you have any idea of how it is going to look like when finished or are you just talking out of your *** as usual? Why is it that you are obsessed about KSA, Arabs and the ancient ME that we inhabit? I wish we could give as much attention to your little overcrowded flat swamp of a country.

Makkah is a modern town, one of the biggest in the ME, and there are plenty of historical artifacts and areas in the outskirts and in all the subsequent towns and villages around the mountain ranges.

The expansion of Al-Masjid Al-Haram is necessary and since we live in year 2014 the expansion is going to have a modern design. Just like ANYWHERE else.

In any case what happens in KSA is none of your business.

dude, pls, the KAABA IS EVERY MUSLIMS'S BUSSINESS,
THATS IT, I AM NO LONGER ATTRACTED TO YOU, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE MASJID E NABVI, AND MASJID AL HARAAM, YOU GO AROUND BEING ALL MORE IMPORTANT THAN US

 

[al-Hasani]

dude, pls, the KAABA IS EVERY MUSLIMS'S BUSSINESS,
THATS IT, I AM NO LONGER ATTRACTED TO YOU, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE MASJID E NABVI, AND MASJID AL HARAAM, YOU GO AROUND BEING ALL MORE IMPORTANT THAN US

What? Who mentioned any word about being better?

It's a fact that Makkah and Madinah are located in our cities and that those two ancient cities have been inhabited by our people for thousands of years. Just like Tabuk or Al-Baha is that to name a few other cities. Being the place of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi or Al-Masjid al-Haram or not.

What KSA does is their business. They have every right to do so since that's our land. Just like Iraq can do and does whatever it pleases to do in Karbala and Najaf, the Vatican does what it pleases to do and India when it comes to its Hindu holy sites.

I have not seen anything damaging being done in Makkah and Madinah so I do not understand the need to troll once again.

The Mosques have not been touched. Graves are not holy in Islam nor does Islam forbid to build hotels to accommodate a constantly growing number of pilgrims from across the world.

End of discussion really.

 

[IamBengali]

Why is there no greenery in Makkah? Instead of building that ugly clock tower with dance party hall nearing Ka'aba they should have made a big green garden.

 

[nair]

LONDON: Saudi Arabia has introduced a series of new laws which define atheists as terrorists, according to a report from Human Rights Watch. In a string of royal decrees and an overarching new piece of legislation to deal with terrorism generally, the Saudi King Abdullah has clamped down on all forms of political dissent and protests that could "harm public order".

The new laws have largely been brought in to combat the growing number of Saudis travelling to take part in the civil war in Syria, who have previously returned with newfound training and ideas about overthrowing the monarchy.

To that end, King Abdullah issued Royal Decree 44, which criminalizes "participating in hostilities outside the kingdom" with prison sentences of between three and 20 years, Human Rights Watch said.

Yet last month further regulations were issued by the Saudi interior ministry, identifying a broad list of groups which the government considers to be terrorist organizations — including the Muslim Brotherhood.

Article one of the new provisions defines terrorism as "calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based".

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director of Human Rights Watch, said: "Saudi authorities have never tolerated criticism of their policies, but these recent laws and regulations turn almost any critical expression or independent association into crimes of terrorism.

"These regulations dash any hope that King Abdullah intends to open a space for peaceful dissent or independent groups," Stork said.

Human Rights Watch said the new regulations were also a setback to campaigns for the protection and release of a number of prominent human rights activists currently jailed in Saudi Arabia. It said Waleed Abu al-Khair and Mikhlif al-Shammari recently lost appeals and will soon begin three-month and five-year respective sentences for criticizing Saudi authorities.

The organisation said the new "terrorism" provisions contain language that prosecutors and judges are already using to prosecute and convict independent activists and peaceful dissidents.

Saudi Arabia declares all atheists are terrorists in new law to crack down on political dissidents - The Times of India

It sounds like they want to keep activists and dissidents under control...... What else can be the best excuse to do so....

 

[Jf Thunder]

What? Who mentioned any word about being better?

It's a fact that Makkah and Madinah are located in our cities and that those two ancient cities have been inhabited by our people for thousands of years. Just like Tabuk or Al-Baha is that to name a few other cities. Being the place of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi or Al-Masjid al-Haram or not.

What KSA does is their business. They have every right to do so since that's our land. Just like Iraq can do and does whatever it pleases to do in Karbala and Najaf, the Vatican does what it pleases to do and India when it comes to its Hindu holy sites.

I have not seen anything damaging being done in Makkah and Madinah so I do not understand the need to troll once again.

The Mosques have not been touched. Graves are not holy in Islam nor does Islam forbid to build hotels to accommodate a constantly growing number of pilgrims from across the world.

End of discussion really.

whatever man

 

[al-Hasani]

Why is there no greenery in Makkah? Instead of building that ugly clock tower with dance party hall nearing Ka'aba they should have made a big green garden.

There is. Makkah is just the hottest city in KSA and surrounded by mountains which gives it a warmer climate than average in Hijaz due to the effects of the mountains and it's also located far enough away from the beautiful Red Sea (80 km) for that not to have an effect climate wise. Mainly due to the sheltering effect of the mountains.

That's how the terrain looks likes a few km outside of Makkah.

For more photos below:

The Mountains of Makkah | NidalM Photography

A tour of parts of Makkah:

And this is how it looks a bit further away from Makkah.

Hijaz is one of the most beautiful places in the ME and world. It has everything. A nearly 1500 km long beautiful tropical coastline alongside the Red Sea which has the second biggest coral reef after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, several beautiful and tall mountain ranges, ancient cities, artifacts, modern cities, volcanic areas, beautiful lowlands and deserts, highlands, tropical areas, forests, beautiful tropical beaches and hundreds of islands outside of the coast. Well outside of Makkah and Madinah obviously.

Soon to be also the highest skyscraper and a few of the biggest and most modern industrial cities.



Speaking about falcons then Hijaz also has one of the best areas in the ME for falconry.

Did I mention the phenomenal weather all year around? When it gets too hot during the summer you just go and visit the many big mountain cities or hundreds of mountain villages located at over 2000 meters altitude to cool off or you take a trip to the Red Sea to do some diving.

Imagine if certain laws were changed which is inevitable.

It's a blessed and ancient land and the land of Prophet Muhammad (saws) and all the Prophets before him and we are very proud to inhabit it as we have done for thousands of years.

So keep spreading nonsense for all we care.

 

[kaykay]

@Skull and Bones why you so terrorist?

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

There has been no decree or legislation or bill been passed under the Royal Decree " 44 "

LONDON: Saudi Arabia has introduced a series of new laws which define atheists as terrorists, according to a report from Human Rights Watch. In a string of royal decrees and an overarching new piece of legislation to deal with terrorism generally, the Saudi King Abdullah has clamped down on all forms of political dissent and protests that could "harm public order".

The new laws have largely been brought in to combat the growing number of Saudis travelling to take part in the civil war in Syria, who have previously returned with newfound training and ideas about overthrowing the monarchy.

To that end, King Abdullah issued Royal Decree 44, which criminalizes "participating in hostilities outside the kingdom" with prison sentences of between three and 20 years, Human Rights Watch said.

Yet last month further regulations were issued by the Saudi interior ministry, identifying a broad list of groups which the government considers to be terrorist organizations — including the Muslim Brotherhood.

Article one of the new provisions defines terrorism as "calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based".

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director of Human Rights Watch, said: "Saudi authorities have never tolerated criticism of their policies, but these recent laws and regulations turn almost any critical expression or independent association into crimes of terrorism.

"These regulations dash any hope that King Abdullah intends to open a space for peaceful dissent or independent groups," Stork said.

Human Rights Watch said the new regulations were also a setback to campaigns for the protection and release of a number of prominent human rights activists currently jailed in Saudi Arabia. It said Waleed Abu al-Khair and Mikhlif al-Shammari recently lost appeals and will soon begin three-month and five-year respective sentences for criticizing Saudi authorities.

The organisation said the new "terrorism" provisions contain language that prosecutors and judges are already using to prosecute and convict independent activists and peaceful dissidents.

Saudi Arabia declares all atheists are terrorists in new law to crack down on political dissidents - The Times of India

It sounds like they want to keep activists and dissidents under control...... What else can be the best excuse to do so....

 

[nair]

There has been no decree or legislation or bill been passed under the Royal Decree " 44 "

Then what is this news all about?

 

[surya kiran]

There has been no decree or legislation or bill been passed under the Royal Decree " 44 "

What is the difference between a royal decree and legislation? As in, how different are they in legal terms?

 

[Nomad16]

Saudi Arabia declares all atheists are terrorists

 

[al-Hasani]

Saudi Arabia declares all atheists are terrorists

No such thing ever happened. This is not Mullahistan.

@Yzd Khalifa @JUBA @Arabian Legend @Full Moon

 

[Informant]

The Mosques have not been touched. Graves are not holy in Islam nor does Islam forbid to build hotels to accommodate a constantly growing number of pilgrims from across the world.

End of discussion really.

Yeah but there was no need for a hotel to be right up on over the Ka'ba. Just because you can doesnt mean you should. Sure hotels are a very much requirement so you couldve built this behemoth somewhere back. I see no reason other than monies my friend.

 

[al-Hasani]

Yeah but there was no need for a hotel to be right up on over the Ka'ba. Just because you can doesnt mean you should. Sure hotels are a very much requirement so you couldve built this behemoth somewhere back. I see no reason other than monies my friend.

My friend a skyscraper is never a good investment. The Burj al-Arab in Dubai has been a bad investment financially if you just look at the revenue obtained from the skyscraper alone but all the upland, the business, exposure, investments, house prices etc. have skyrocketed and all in all it has been a huge success.

Now Dubai has historically and no historical importance in the Arab world. It was just 1 out of thousands of small fishing villages. It's due to clever rulers that it came on the world map and now is world famous and a major destination for tourism, investments etc.

Makkah has been and is the most famous city in the Muslim world and one of the most famous in the world. It does not need a skyscraper for exposure, business etc. So I don't see how money is an initiative here.

Contrary to popular belief then the revenue KSA gets from the hajj is not very big compared to the expenses.
In any case I am not sure if people here even know how this project will look like in say 2025 before they pass judgement?

Also who says that this skyscraper and other buildings cannot be erased as others before them have been erased for thousands of years?

It's not a coincidence that there is so little heritage in the world from more than 2000 years ago that is still standing in its original form.