<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">World’s biggest hotel to open in Mecca in 2017 <a href="http://t.co/j8LBAKcsN3">http://t.co/j8LBAKcsN3</a> <a href="http://t.co/SreonDMynk">pic.twitter.com/SreonDMynk</a></p>— TIME.com (@TIME) <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME/status/605358248091381760">June 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mecca is opening the world's biggest hotel with 10,000 bedrooms and 70 restaurants <a href="http://t.co/EPzMzQzDiN">http://t.co/EPzMzQzDiN</a> <a href="http://t.co/IrCJ4Vu5M6">pic.twitter.com/IrCJ4Vu5M6</a></p>— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) <a href="https://twitter.com/thedailybeast/status/604781875773755392">May 30, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Why is this in the D&D?? It makes perfect sense for the world's largest hotel to be in the city where to world's largest pilgrimage takes place, no?
Pretty good racket they got going on. Religion of billions, followers MUST visit at least once (prefer twice) during lifetime, build hotels, PROFIT!!! Crazy thing is this hotel will have trumped it's neighbor Royal Clock Tower Hotel.
Well it looks like it is going to be a "luxury" hotel with a mall and 70 restaurants... and the top 5 floors are reserved for the Saudi Royal Family only. So much for modesty.... but then again, we live in America, we can't say **** about modesty. I have to think this is REALLY going to piss off Islamic fundamentalists. Count down to suicide bombings..... but maybe bikers can hold a rally outside the mall doors. What a strange world we live in.
Agree, but I'm commenting on the notion that if there was a Catholic holy place only designated for Catholics, Catholics would be demonized for it, yet no one really bats an eye that non Muslims are barred from Mecca.
Oh I completely agree with you. I have never been given a reasonable answer as to why progressives and liberals will fight against discrimination against blacks, gays, women and other groups... will fight so hard to end Apartheid in SA.... will fight to close sweat shops overseas, will spar with the Catholic Church and virtually any other group...... but when it comes to a few groups, be it the Middle East or even India, well it doesn't matter if people are being stoned to death, or women are being raped or that atheists are killed, or that non Muslims cannot even visit certain areas. It is an absurd hypocrisy. The ONLY real liberal group to stand up and say, look what Islam is saying/doing isn't right either, are the intellectual Atheists.
I think plenty of it has to do with an American liberal is more exposed to and affected personally by Christian fundamentalism as it is more prevalent in the U.S than Islamic fundamentalism. There is the other end of the spectrum that I also worry about where ill-informed and bigoted state legislatures waste their time pushing anti-sharia bills as if it is a legitimate threat to American sovereignty.
It is, along with Medina. From my understanding this is a Saudi policy, not explicitly an Islamic one. In addition to all the other nonsense, I recently learned that you cannot get a tourist visa (Muslim or not) to see the rest of the country. A cousin of mine grew up there and had to get a 10 year business visa in order to visit his friends. In other words, it is a ridiculously insular country. Also for whoever mentioned terrorist attacks, recently there were two suicide blasts that targeted Shia mosques in the largely Sunni country.
I hadn't heard that about Medina as well. I can't imagine having get a 10 year business visa to visit other parts of the nation. Interesting stuff. I appreciate this post.