Why does the Muslim world not say anything when Muslims brothers carry out such acys of defamation and destruction to holy Islamic sites? Are we numbed by their wealth or are is it a case of selective amnesia? Whatever the case maybe, this has been going on for 70 years and needs to be stopped, immediately.
Prophet’s birthplace up for demolition
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: The Saudi embassies in Washington, Ottawa and London are likely to be soon flooded with mail from shocked Muslims urging that the birthplace of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) not be bulldozed.
A report in the London newspaper The Independent, says, “Now the actual birthplace of the Prophet Mohamed is facing the bulldozers, with the connivance of Saudi religious authorities whose hardline interpretation of Islam is compelling them to wipe out their own heritage.”
According to progressive Canadian Muslim broadcaster and activist, Toronto-based Tarek Fatah, “In January 2002, Turkey accused Saudi Arabia of a ‘cultural massacre’ following the demolition of an historic Ottoman castle near the holy city of Mecca. The spat between Turkey and Saudi Arabia barely caused a stir anywhere in the Muslim world, let alone international circles. The Ottoman fort’s destruction is not the only massacre of culture that the Saudis have done in the name of money and Islam. In the 1980s, they demolished part of the two hills of Safaa and Marwah to build a palace for the late King Khaled.
These historic hills were where Abraham left Hagar, and where Muslims during Haj run between the two hills to commemorate Hagar’s search for water for her infant son. Not one Imam or Muslim leader protested. After all millions of dollars have the power of silencing even the most pious. But that is not all. The Saudis are now planning to destroy the very house of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Independent article quotes Sami Angawi, a Saudi architect, “What we are witnessing are the last days of Mecca and Medina.” According to Dr Angawi - who has dedicated his life to preserving Islam’s two holiest cities - as few as 20 structures are left that date back to the lifetime of the Prophet 1,400 years ago and those that remain could be bulldozed at any time. “This is the end of history in Mecca and Medina and the end of their future,” said Dr Angawi. The driving force behind the demolition campaign that has transformed these cities is Wahhabism.
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. Idolatry is punishable be beheading in the kingdom.
According to the London newspaper, “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.” Dr Angawi says that the bulldozers could come “at any time” and the Prophet’s birthplace would be gone in a single night. Ali al-Ahmed, the head of the Gulf Institute has said, “The destruction of Islamic landmarks in Hijaz is the largest in history, and worse than the desecration of the Koran.”
Dr Angawi has said, “The man-made history of Mecca has gone and now the Mecca that God made is going as well. The projects that are coming up are going to finish them historically, architecturally and environmentally.” The kingdom cannot cope with the increase in the number of pilgrims and new hotels, apartments and services are badly needed, director of a leading Saudi estate agency told Reuters.
Ahmed does not see that as the reason. According to him, “The service of pilgrims is not the goal really. 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.”