Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina (OP)
JEDDAH // Non-Muslims can never get the feel of what is it like to live in Mecca or Medina, Islam’s holy cities, as only Muslims are allowed to enter them. But this is about to change when the new "smart city" being built in Medina is completed.
Knowledge Economic City (KEC), Saudi Arabia’s first “smart city” – its buildings are all connected via voice, data and video links – will open its doors to non-Muslims as the city is planned to be a window on Islam to the world, one of the project owners said.
Sami Baroum, the managing director of Savola group, the largest private owner in the project, said that one-third of the new city, which will be developed on an area of 4.8 million square metres, will be outside of the forbidden area known as the Haram. It is expected to open in five years.
“For the first time, non-Muslims will be able to experience living within a Muslim holy city,” Mr Baroum said. “They will not live inside the Haram area, but they will be very close to it as they can see the lights of the Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque.”
The city, known as KEC, will be developed fully over 15 years at a cost of 30 billion riyals (Dh29bn) to serve both the tourist and commercial needs of Medina.
The Saudi King Abdullah, who donated the project’s land, worth one billion riyals, owns the majority stake in KEC through his King Abdullah Foundation for His Parents for Charitable Housing. All the revenues generated through property sales in KEC will go to the foundation to provide housing for poor Saudis.
According to design plans, KEC will accommodate up to 150,000 people in its residential areas, which will be supported by planned commercial complexes, hospitality facilities, a theme park and an Islamic museum.
“All surrounding countries are interested in building Islamic museums with large investments. Medina should be the city where non-Muslims come to understand the history of Islam instead,” Mr Baroum said.
The mosque areas in Mecca and Medina are sanctuaries for Muslims, according to Islamic law. The forbidden area of the Haram in both cities is well defined, but with expansion over the years many parts of the two cities are now outside the forbidden zones.
In Medina, the residential area surrounding the holy mosque is limited and has reached its accommodation capacity.
Mr Baroum said KEC allows Medina to grow outside of the central area close to the mosque and towards a new international airport that is under construction. He said he wants the airport to become a hub for Muslim travellers, particularly during Haj.
“Muslim flocks will come to Medina from all around the world once the airport is completed, and we want to make sure that non-Muslims as well can come to Medina and have a place to stay,” he said.
Saudi Arabia is investing heavily to develop a religious tourism sector as part of its efforts to move its economy away from oil, and for the first time, the kingdom hopes to attract non-Muslim visitors.
Mr Baroum said the KEC will also have a train station for a 450km high-speed railway linking the two holy cities to Jeddah.
“The new train station will be built in the one-third area located out of the Haram area, and non-Muslims can come to Medina by land to enjoy Islamic tourism attractions we will build there,” he said.
The KEC developers also plan for it to cater for the needs of the local population as well. Medina’s population stands at one million and the developers expect it to double in 20 years.
“Out of the additional one million people, we only want to attract 75,000 or 7.5 per cent to live in the KEC. The other half of KEC’s inhabitants should come from outside of Medina,” Mr Baroum said. He hopes to attract retirees as well as highly skilled workers.
As for its business and knowledge core, Mr Baroum said, the city is expected to be home to biomedical and information technology-related industries.
Developers hope the project will position Saudi Arabia and young Muslim entrepreneurs as internationally respected leaders in knowledge-based industries. They estimate that employers based there will create more than 20,000 jobs.
Employees of those industries would be able to live nearby.
“We want to make a reverse brain drain to attract back all the Muslim minds from the West to develop an Islamic knowledge-related economy in one of Islam’s holy cities,” Mr Baroum said.
“Attracting the right people ... is the difficult part,” he said. “Providing them with the right infrastructure to do it is the easy part.
“We already hired the world’s largest network solution company, Cisco Systems, to do the job.”
According to a press statement after the signing of a contract in 2008, Cisco said it would provide the network architecture for the city.
“We have non-Muslims eager to understand Islam, and we have 1.4 billion Muslims who need to visit Medina. I can’t think of a target market better than this,” Mr Baroum said.
When it was launched by King Abdullah and announced by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority in 2006, KEC, to the east of Medina, was the fourth of six economic cities designed to diversify the country away from oil and to provide jobs to a rapidly expanding population.
According to the investment authority, KEC will also have an Islamic civilisation studies centre designed to be a hub of intellectual activity, focused on collecting, developing and transmitting the knowledge, values and artwork of Islamic civilisation, as well as finding Islamic solutions to contemporary problems such as designing Islamic banking products.
Our Lord! Verily, we have heard the call of one calling to Faith: 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed.
Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and expiate from us our evil deeds, and make us die (in the state of righteousness) along with Al-Abrar
You do realize you're talking about Saudi Arabia here.That kind of conduct is prohibited by the laws of the state. If they violate the law, they answer to it.
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
format_quote Originally Posted by Boaz
Do those of you who are against this really think non-Muslims and Westerners will just sully the place by being there? I'd understand if they would be allowed in the Mosque of the Prophet, which is very sacred to Muslims, but what is the problem with a few city streets? It's not like they'll go around promoting other faiths or walk around with shorts and revealing clothes.
Yes, you see when muslims visit those holy lands we don't go there for the sake of a fun holiday, its part of our pilgrimage so we don't want to be out of focus from Allah for even the slightest period, if I saw a non-muslim or muslim in those lands not dressing completely islamically i'd be pretty ticked off, mainly cause it would spread evil among the holy land and distract pilgrims. Basically any unislamic conduct in those areas would be extremely offensive to muslims.
He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers. [Quran {33:43}] www.QuranicAudio.com www.Quran.com
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
format_quote Originally Posted by Airforce
The filthy kaafirs should be kept out of the city at all cost
format_quote Originally Posted by The Prince
who can blame them? europe is doing so much to ban everything to do with Islam, is starting to become very hostile to it's Muslim immigrants, nationalistic groups are on the rise, and with ALL OF THIS, many of the people from these countries are going to be allowed to enter Islam's second holiest city???? so can you blame them for being angry and distrusting? i sure can.
I understand your point and can actually agree with keeping non-muslims out of holy shrines and areas. But the above runs in both directions. When your fellow muslims refer to Kafir as "filth" can you not see the cycle being spun around once more? The bans on everything to do with Islam (as you put it) is in a large part based on the negative image created for Islam following 9/11 and other events. However unfair, the image is there and refering to kafirs as "filth" does no good for this PR problem.
Last edited by Pygoscelis; 05-13-2010 at 10:03 PM.
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
format_quote Originally Posted by Mohamed_Sadiq
Lool no way will the non-muslims enter or even live in Madina! and why do they want to come there anyways? just to spoil Islam nothing else, them and their evil plans!
I can't tell if this one is serious or parody lol. Us kafir and our evil plans. We'll eat your babies and steal your candy. Bwahahaha *waggles eyebrows and twirls mustache mischievously*
Seriously though, I have to agree that there is zero reason for a non-muslim to go there. I think its more about the idea (of banning people) than the reality. True, I'll never go there, but still nobody likes to hear they are banned from somewhere just for being who they are.
I wonder, does the Vatican allow non-christians in?
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
Please tell me you know what the joke is a reference to. Anyway, yes, it really is more the idea that non-Muslims are banned. I personally think tourists will behave properly. Yes, even in the Mosque of the Prophet and if the ban is ever lifted, in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. Contrary to popular belief, non-Muslims are not a bunch if unruly drunk savages who don't respect Islam and would have the audacity to commit acts in violation of Islam in its most sacred places.
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
format_quote Originally Posted by Boaz
Please tell me you know what the joke is a reference to. Anyway, yes, it really is more the idea that non-Muslims are banned. I personally think tourists will behave properly. Yes, even in the Mosque of the Prophet and if the ban is ever lifted, in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. Contrary to popular belief, non-Muslims are not a bunch if unruly drunk savages who don't respect Islam and would have the audacity to commit acts in violation of Islam in its most sacred places.
honestly I think non-muslims will struggle to practice the modest clothing laws,
He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers. [Quran {33:43}] www.QuranicAudio.com www.Quran.com
The Prophet on his death-bed, gave three orders saying, "Expel the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula [Sahih Bukhari 4:52:288]
I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslim. Sahih Muslim 19:4366
Its our fault for letting this happen:
If anyone introduces an innovation, he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.
Abu Dawud 39:4515
non muslims can live in any muslim country except arabian peninsula, this is agreed upon by the scholars of hadith
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
The prophet said:
The Prophet on his death-bed, gave three orders saying, "Expel the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula [Sahih Bukhari 4:52:288]
I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslim. Sahih Muslim 19:4366
Its our fault for letting this happen:
If anyone introduces an innovation, he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.
Abu Dawud 39:4515
non muslims can live in any muslim country except arabian peninsula, this is agreed upon by the scholars of hadith
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
format_quote Originally Posted by Boaz
Contrary to popular belief, non-Muslims are not a bunch if unruly drunk savages who don't respect Islam and would have the audacity to commit acts in violation of Islam in its most sacred places.
Let's examine that shall we?
What do the UAE's laws say about indecent exposure?
The law does not specify what indecent exposure is, but there is a minimum that should not be exceeded.For example, it is forbidden to go out in underwear whether on the streets, in hotels or public places.Clothes should not be sexually provocative, according to the standards of the common man.
There were 82 cases filed for public indecency in 2009 in Dubai. If non-muslims can't follow these simple rules in Dubai then i don't think they can follow them anywhere.
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
Life Is Short, you live in the UK - do you seriously view 'Non-Muslims' as one and as some sort of collective? The way you suggest that Non-Muslims are incapable of following rules of decency suggests you do.
"I know how to fight
I know how to sing
I know the way"
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
Salaam
Anyways, I guess it could help muslim and non-muslim understandings which is better in the long term. But it could back fire hugely....there are a lot of douchebags in the world.
This is a seriously seriously bad idea. I agree with the idea of diversification into other areas since the oil will run out, and I agree with the idea of building bridges, I dont think anybody would disagree with that but is this the best way to do it?
I mean look at Dubai, do we want to turn two of our holiest cities into a cheap tourist site? Where believers are to be gawked at by the curious? hmmmmm
They will walk around in shorts and revealing clothes though. The purpose of the place is worship but they'll be there for tourism. It will start small, maybe photo's only in certain areas, alcohol allowed in the bar area only, a small pool.. etc. but the boundaries will be pushed. They have to be pushed because to do well in tourism you have to attract tourists.
Your right about that, commericialism and the desire to make ever increasing profits could have potentialy damaging effects on the religious nature of the two cities. Like you say tourists will demand more and more and businesses will have to give in if they are going to maintain trade. (eg. Dubai)
Please tell me you know what the joke is a reference to. Anyway, yes, it really is more the idea that non-Muslims are banned. I personally think tourists will behave properly. Yes, even in the Mosque of the Prophet and if the ban is ever lifted, in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. Contrary to popular belief, non-Muslims are not a bunch if unruly drunk savages who don't respect Islam and would have the audacity to commit acts in violation of Islam in its most sacred places.
You'd be surprised, but seriously you will but plenty of others wont, probably through no fault of their own. I think it would be espeically difficult for secular minded people (culture clash etc etc). I dont see why the two cities would hold much interest to non muslims anyway.
And you wonder why Islam has an ugly image...
To a (certain type of) westerner the only good Muslim is somebody whos muslim in name only, with this in mind their is little that can be done to improve the image. Though I agree the earlier comment was uncalled for.
I wonder, does the Vatican allow non-christians in?
So what if they do? Thats the Vaticans decision, were different. If they changed their mind and decided not to allow non Catholics in thats their business.
do you seriously view 'Non-Muslims' as one and as some sort of collective? The way you suggest that Non-Muslims are incapable of following rules of decency suggests you do.
You ever seen Glasgow on a Friday night? Eye opening to say the least, but I agree it would depend on the non muslim.
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
well we will all just have to wait and see how it goes, who knows, it might never happen, these plans are going to take several years to implement, and by then this plan might be thrown out the window.
Re: Non-Muslims to be allowed to live in part of Medina
Saying non-muslims are out to desecrate muslim holy mosques is like saying muslims are terrorists. Its a completely unfair generalization, reactionary, hateful, and will only encourage the cycle of conflict to spin faster.
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