**Women face curbs in Makka mosque
** **Monday 28 August 2006, **
** 13:43 Makka Time, 10:43 GMT **
Religious leaders in Saudi Arabia want to impose restrictions on women praying in the Grand Mosque in Makka, one of the few places where male and female worshippers intermingle.
But women activists in the kingdom, the birthplace of the religion and where a strict interpretation of Islam is imposed, say the idea is discriminatory and have vowed to oppose it.
At present, women can pray in the immediate vicinity of the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure inside the mosque, believed to have been built by Ibrahim (Abraham) - seen by Muslims as a prophet - and his son.
Muslims walk around this seven times according to rites first established by Ibrahim and re-established by Prophet Muhammad.
Plans by the all-male committee overseeing the holy sites would place women in a distant section of the mosque while men would still be able to pray in the key space.
**Not final
**
Osama al-Bar, head of the Institute for Haj Research, said: "The area is very small and so crowded. So we decided to get women out of the sahn [Kaaba area] to a better place where they can see the Kaaba and have more space.
“Some women thought it wasn’t good, but from our point of view it will be better for them … We can sit with them and explain to them what the decision is.”
I have been following this news. The women are rightly incensed and have some very valid points for their cause. The probable next step would be to tell the women folk to stay home altogether... or so it seems.
The point about able to SEE and VIEW the kaaba from a distance is ridiculous to say the least. THAT can be done by renting a room in a high rise 5 star hotel beside the haram and watching kaaba all day from the window....
yeah lets have the same rule for anyne who is below a certain height, u know to make it easy for them.
idiots..they should first banpl from sudan, making circles and running thee pushing and shoving everyone else around, I mean what kinda worship is it when you are creating danger for other plgrims..
leave it to these mutawa types and soon only saudi men could go there, others would be in a safe distance..
wow, these double standards make me sick. Who the **** they think they are to impose what they 'feel' right upon women. I'm sure there can be many other ways to solve this problem but they just to take the easy way out and take advantage of their position. abusing power and muslim males go hand-in-hand. If this turns out to be true,then thats really sickening.
actually whats more sickening is their attitude " oh we have made our decision and know whats right. We are goin to sit with women and discuss (= TELL) with them".
This news is atleast three days old, its good to have it posted...deir aiyee durast aiyee...but its sad that these issues do not find the real attention they deserve, after all it will affect Muslims of the world, not just those narrow minded saudis. Then again, if muslim ummah is going to sit back and allow this to happen w/o a protest then they have no one to complain.
What was not advised by the Prophet is now being discussed with no religious discourse or backlash.
The Saudi royal family (Al Saud) and the family leading the religious ministry (Al Shaikh) has a long history, going back to almost 100 years. It’s a political understanding, where one protects the other to stay in power, and religion is used as a tool to remain in power. With growing populations and unemployment the ruling establishment is worried about restricting fitnah but fail to provide facilities to the people of Arabia. The royal family (3-5 thousand) which makes all the money from oil, tend to spend just peanuts on the citizens of Arabia. What most foreigners see are huge buildings and expansions of sacred sites, but little is done for employment of the millions. So this just another authoritarian rule from the ruling elite, sure few will fall for it, and those would be chastised here. We all know that the current ruling has nothing to do with Islam, Maliki (or Wahabi) Shafaee or even hanafi school of thought.
Don't worry guys, it will never happen ...
Reasons:
No women is allowed to enter in Saudi without a Mehram, so no women will enter in Haramm as well alone, they always go in group with family, and walk in group as well ...
They are covered with Abaaya ...
If they are separated with family, then how they will join the family back?
Specially during Hajj when there are 2.5-3.5 million people ...
No it is not possible, ...
Beside all it, this news is not authentic either ...
No women is allowed to enter in Saudi without a Mehram, so no women will enter in Haramm as well alone, they always go in group with family, and walk in group as well ...
They are covered with Abaaya ...
If they are separated with family, then how they will join the family back?
Specially during Hajj when there are 2.5-3.5 million people ...
No it is not possible, ...
Beside all it, this news is not authentic either ...
have u ever been to saudi arabia?
i have lived there for 12 years and beleive me they are stupid enough to do this
