Indian Supreme Court Orders End to Hajj Subsidies
NEW DELHI - India's Supreme Court has ordered the government to do away with a program that subsidizes Muslims in their most sacred journey. Still, many of the country's Muslims are fine with the decision. In this week's ruling, India's highest court said the subsidy for the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca known as the Hajj "is best done away with." If all the facts were known, the ruling continues ...
www.voanews.com
Make use of God’s greatest blessing: Scholar
The Holy Qur’an, which is full of divine instructions from the Creator, is the greatest of all blessings from God for mankind and is the panacea for all their problems, said Abdul Shukoor Ali, an Islamic researcher, community leader and a patron of cultural organization Thanima Sargavedi, here yesterday.
www.arabnews.com
Swissotel Journeys to Mecca
The hotel will reflect Arabian culture while offering views of the Grand Mosque and Holy Kaaba.
www.hdmag.com
U.S. military class taught ‘total war’ against Islam, destroying Mecca necessary for fighting radicals
A U.S. military course has been teaching America’s enemy is Islam, not just terrorists, and suggesting Mecca and Medina could be wiped out without regard for civilian deaths
news.nationalpost.com
Swissôtel Makkah Set To Commence Operations In The Islamic Capital
Spectacular experience awaits guests at Swissôtel Makkah, with 1487 beautifully appointed rooms and suites constituting to be the largest hotel of Saudi Arabia and the biggest entity of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts. The soon to be unveiled prestigious hotel will mark the international hotel group’s first venture in the Middle East and is due to welcoming guests from the 1st day of Ramadan in July ...
www.hospitalitynet.org
King’s policies promise new glory
Several prominent Saudi leaders, including princes, ministers, heads of government organizations as well as eminent Islamic scholars and citizens have lauded the achievements made during the seven-year reign of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
www.arabnews.com
Islam's sacred geography
Every principal world religion has pilgrimage as a significant tenet. This pilgrimage is central to the “sacred geography” of the faith and provides an opportunity to the believer to traverse this physical space and seek to interact directly with the Divine.
www.business-standard.com
Foreign Policy: Think Again About Al-Qaida
Al-Qaida continues to carry out attacks in the Middle East. Seth G. Jones of Foreign Policy argues that despite repeated attempts to eliminate it, al-Qaida is significantly stronger than many analysts expect.
www.npr.org
Shai Baitel: Me(c)ca Is Actually in Jersey City
Because of the unparalleled cultural phenomenon of the millions of pilgrims Mecca receives every year, the city's name turned into a popular synonym that often times describe places of importance and the with power to attract groups of often like-minded people.
www.huffingtonpost.com
Factbox -Timbuktu - heritage in danger
(Reuters) - Separatist rebels in Mali seized Timbuktu and two other regional capitals in April to create an independent state called Azawad. Timbuktu is controlled by Ansar Dine, which experts say has links with local al Qaeda factions, though the airport is in the hands of the MNLA rebel group. The town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and tourism has suffered from years of ...
uk.news.yahoo.com
