why would they want to come to madina and then not be allowed into the haram
Yes
No
Dont know
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.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs..../1135/general1
why would they want to come to madina and then not be allowed into the haram
Why would they want to come to Medina.format_quote Originally Posted by aadil77
Maybe they'll "come to understand the history of Islam instead", as Mr Baroum said above.format_quote Originally Posted by aadil77
hmm yh, I can understand them wanting to come to makkah but not madina, did any previous prophets live in madinah?format_quote Originally Posted by Dagless
I dont think its a good idea to let them in even if its not near Haram Area. You might never know what some fools might do,and probably a great time for CIA agents to creep in.
They'll probably be separated from pilgrims and the main religious site/s so technically the city could be anywhere.format_quote Originally Posted by Life_Is_Short
The filthy kaafirs should be kept out of the city at all cost . They would spare no time in getting out in their bikinis and beach suites to tan in the Sun in the area around Jannatul Baqi while taking photographs of the green dome of Prophet's mosque that Muzzies worship.
Yes, they can be that ridiculous, immature and disgusting. And ooh, who knows they might also want to have a booze party on one of those 10 high minarets ... you know, close to clouds, high up in illusions while being drunk
Last edited by Predator; 05-12-2010 at 10:34 PM.
And you wonder why Islam has an ugly image...format_quote Originally Posted by Airforce
Muslims have never wondered of Islam's image to the kuffar.. The one with the image is the one with the problem not vice versa-- I really wish you'd stop trying to bank on that point!
all the best
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.
I really don't want any kaffirs in those two spots.. are you allowed membership to Quill and dagger or timb of the sphinx at darmouth amongst many others.. the two holy sites are meant for a specific purpose they are not a tourist attractions as stated before there are plenty of spots opened to the kuffar to learn of Islam first hand.. why are these the only two spots suddenly of interest?
Yeah No doubt first signs of the coming of the AntiChrist Dajjal , take a look at these Hadith which are spot onI dont think its a good idea to let them in even if its not near Haram Area. You might never know what some fools might do,and probably a great time for CIA agents to creep in.
Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have said: "Dajjal will come but it will be prohibited and impossible for him to enter Madina. He will set up camp in a barren land outside Madina. One person who will be the best of persons will confront him by saying: "I bear witness that you are the very Dajjal about whom Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) has informed us."
Dajjal will say to his followers, "If I kill this person and then revive him, you people will still doubt me?"
They will reply, "No."
He will then kill this person, (according to another narration he will split this person in two) and thereafter revive him. This person will say, "I am totally convinced more than ever before that you definitely are Dajjal."
Dajjal will attempt to kill this person again but his efforts will now be in vain.
(According to a hadith, after this incident, Dajjal will not be able to harm anyone.)
Hadhrat Anas (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "Dajjal will come and finally reach the outskirts of Madina. There will be three tremors. At that time, all the disbelievers and hypocrites will flee (from Madina).
In this way Madina Munawwarah will be purified of all the evil hypocrites.
Dajjal will be unable to enter enter Madina because there will be Malaikah(angels) guarding each of the seven entrances to Madina;
Source : http://www.islam.tc/prophecies/masdaj.html
Last edited by Predator; 05-12-2010 at 11:11 PM.
Each country has their own laws are regulations and requirements. If you want to come to America, you have to apply for visa, have to go through serious security checks even before you leave your country and what not. Other nations have their own regulations as well. No one is forbidden from going to Medinah and Makkah, everyone is allowed so long as you meet the entry requirements and paperwork. One of the requirements and paperwork is that showing you are a Muslim. If kuffars want to go there so badly then be ready to meet all the paper requirements and stop whining and being cry babies.
thats my quote, innit?format_quote Originally Posted by Airforceglad that someone liked it
because its an economic city they are building so theyd be there for business/work
Very bad move on saudi part
Don't worry, Allah himself will keep the city of the Prophet clean. Rasulullahsaid: "I was ordered to migrate to a town which will swallow (conquer) other towns and is called Yathrib and that is Madinah, and it turns out (bad) persons as a furnace removes the impurities of iron." (Bukhari: vol. 3, Book 30, No. 95)
There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal will not enter except Makkah and Madinah, and there will be no entrance (road) (of both Makkah and Madinah) but the angels will be standing in rows guarding it against him, and then Madinah will shake with its inhabitants thrice (i.e. three earth-quakes will take place) and Allah will expel all the nonbelievers and the hypocrites from it. (Bukhari: vol. 3, Book 30, No. 105)
A bedouin came to the Prophet
When the Prophet went out for (the battle of) Uhud, some of his companions (hypocrites) returned (home). A party of the believers remarked that they would kill those (hypocrites) who had returned, but another party said that they would not kill them. So, this Ayah was revealed: “Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties concerning the hypocrites.” (4.88) The Prophet said, “Madinah expels the bad persons from it, as fire expels the impurities of iron.” (Bukhari: vol. 3, Book 30, No. 108)
This kafirophobia is unsettling. It's almost as if people are talking about a disease here, not fellow human beings.
Agreed, CIA, Mossad, Mi5, KGB on prowl mode.
1. Not really kafirophobia, more like security... As 'Umar said we can never trust the kuffaar.format_quote Originally Posted by KAding
2. It is the sharee'ah to keep non-Muslims out of the haramain.
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