I came across this article at the BBC site:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1222000/1222312.stm
Qatari Al-Jazirah TV says the hijackers might have chosen Medina in the belief that no foreign forces would be able to intervene since, according to Muslim law, the city is closed to all non-Muslims
I’ve heard that non-muslims are not
allowed in Mecca.. But I am not sure about
Madina.. Can anybody tell me if it is true
or not …
This is true. You have to be a muslim to be able to enter either Mekkah or Medina.
The law was made when 2 jews tried to dig up to the grave of the prophet (saw) and had reached his feet when the kahlifa at that time (in the ottoman empire) saw the prophet in his dream that he was not happy and in pain. At that point he came to medina and gave a dinner to all the residents in medina. Still he had the same dreams. The next day he did another dream and asked if everyone was there. Someone told him that there were 2 people missing but they were always praying so they could not come. When the khalifa went to their house he found that they had dug a tunnel and they were about to take the prophet's (saw) body out of his graves and they had already reached his feet. They later turned out to be jews. Since that time no non-muslim has been allowed into Mecca or Medina.