Saudi Regime Demolishes Masjid Al-Haram Holy Sites in Mecca

Local Editor

The authorities in Saudi Arabia have begun dismantling some of the oldest sections of Islam's most important mosque as part of a highly controversial multi-billion pound expansion.
Photographs obtained by The Independent British daily reveal how workers with drills and mechanical diggers have started demolishing some sections on the eastern side of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.
The building, which is also known as the Grand Mosque, is the holiest site in Islam because it contains the Kaaba - the point to which all Muslims face when praying. The columns are the last remaining sections of the mosque which date back more than a few hundred years and form the inner perimeter on the outskirts of the white marble floor surrounding the Kaaba.

The new photos, taken over the last few weeks, have caused alarm among archaeologists. Many of the destructed columns in Mecca were inscribed with intricate Arabic calligraphy marking the names of the Holy Prophet's companions and key moments in his life. One column which is believed to have been ripped down is supposed to mark the spot of Israa, the spot where the Prophet (PBUH) began his heavenly journey , which took him to al-Quds and heaven in a single night.
While there is little disagreement over the need to expand, critics have accused the Saudi regime of wantonly disregarding the archaeological, historical and cultural heritage of Islam's two holiest cities.
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. Dozens of key historical sites dating back to the birth of Islam have already been lost and there is a scramble among archaeologists and academics to try and encourage the authorities to preserve what little remains.

Last October The Independent revealed how new plans for the masjid an-Nabawi in Medina would result in the destruction of three of the world's oldest mosques on the west hand side of the main complex. However, new plans approved by King Abdullah last week appear to show a change of heart with the bulk of the expansion now slated to take place to the north of the Masjid an-Nabawi.

Moreover, key sites are still at risk. The Independent has obtained a presentation used by the Saudis to illustrate how the expansion of Mecca's main mosque will look. In one of the slides it is clear that the Bayt al-Mawlid, an area which is believed to be the house where the Holy Prophet was born in, will have to be removed unless plans change.

Source: The Independent, Edited by moqawama.org