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Mecca and Medina questions for Muslims

Reader comment on item: A French Consulate in Mecca

Submitted by Karam Chand Ramrakha (Australia), Dec 26, 2005 at 17:56

I would like to know who built Mecca and Medina, and the 360 idols which Islam destroyed. Who were these idol-worshippers. Were they Vedic/Hindus.I would also like to know why non Moslems are excluded from this sacred site ?

Alone of all religions is a site so jealously guarded against non-believers ? Why ? I would also like to know why the rituals and religious practices of perambulating around a shrine, or holy water from Abe Zam Zam, or the cutting of the hair and two seamless garments is not practised outside Mecca and Medina. After all how a Catholic priest says Mass in Rome is what he would say in Timbuctoo, or a Hindu as he prays in Benares so would he pray in Britain.

And why is the 7 storey Ka'aba covered with a cloth ? Does the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina pre-date Islam ? And who are the Mahadevas who tried to take over the shrines ?

Karam Chand Ramrakha

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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