After sifting through more than a few articles on the massive construction going on in Mecca & Medina, I came across two interesting articles, with two very different viewpoints and agendas.
The first comes from the ‘Independent in the UK’. It shows a couple photos taken by activists of the construction, then goes on to discuss the importance of historical sites and relics and the loss of so much history over the past couple decades, stating that “The Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates that 95 per cent of Mecca’s millennium-old buildings have been demolished in the past two decades alone.” Very depressing, but the author of the article just gives you the facts…no opinion.
Then there’s this article from ‘Iran English Radio: IRIB World Service’. This article discusses the Saudi’s intent to destroy the Prophet Mohammad’s house in Mecca. However I can’t tell if it’s true, because the article is extremely biased. If you think our cable the U.S. cable news is bad, how about these statements – “It seems the Saudis are anxious to finish the job of their pagan forefathers who had failed to kill the Prophet.” & “The Saudi Wahabbis do not consider anything to be sacred.” While I’m not surprised at the bias coming from Iran, I was surprised that they decided to use the article to challenge everything including the Saudi’s religious beliefs, the legitimacy of the monarchy and their legitimacy as a nation. And the article accomplished it in only 10 paragraphs…that’s impressive.
– David W.
