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 Tens of thousands of pilgrims perform the evening prayer at Mecca's Grand Mosque on Wednesday.
November 4th, 2011
07:57 AM ET
Will this year's Hajj have an ‘Arab Spring’ effect?By Dan Gilgoff and Dan Merica, CNN (CNN) - The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the world's largest gathering of Muslims - the biggest annual gathering of humanity, period. So it's no surprise that Middle East experts expect this year's pilgrimage, the first to happen since the Arab Spring began last year, to be different. The pilgrimage, called the Hajj, happens in the same global neighborhood as countries that have been roiled by protests, revolutions and war over the last 11 months. But there's uncertainty about exactly how this Hajj, which officially begins Friday, will be different. Some experts are watching for potential flare-ups in Saudi Arabia, a country governed by an unelected royal family and where freedoms are limited. They note that ordinary Saudis will be rubbing shoulders with Arabs making pilgrimages from countries that have staged anti-government demonstrations and have unseated long-entrenched regimes. "This idea of freedom and dignity is spreading like wildfire, and at a gathering like the Hajj it's conceivable that the electricity coming from these ideas will be picked up," says Akbar Ahmed, the chair of Islamic Studies at American University. "This is what scares the Saudi bureaucracy." "There are thousands of pilgrims who want to topple the established order of the Saudi monarchy," he says. But Ahmed and others say the Hajj's effects on the Arab Spring are just as likely to be much broader, as many pilgrims share notes on uprisings and overthrows before returning home to countries ruled by despots. "This is a venue where you can come into contact with hundreds of thousands of people, so for people who are coming from these newly liberated lands, it is a bit much to ask to say absolutely nothing about it," says Kelly Pemberton, an assistant professor at The George Washington University who studies Islamic reform movements. "Many people are going to see this (Arab Spring) as a sign of God's favor," she says. At the same time, experts on the region note that the Hajj is a solemn religious event that is physically and spiritually demanding and that affords little time for politicking, raising doubts in some scholars' minds about the magnitude of a Hajj effect on the Arab Spring. The Saudis haven't announced special security measures for this year's Hajj. But the event, which draws roughly 2.5 million pilgrims, has long been managed with military precision, and scholars say the government there has been preparing for months for its first Arab Spring-era Hajj. "They'll be on guard for a flashpoint moment or a riot, something that flares up and becomes something," says Ahmed, referring to Saudi security forces. "In Tunisia, one man set himself on fire and three months later the Egyptian president is toppled." There has been political violence during the Hajj in the past, most notably in the 1980s, on the heels of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini's followers attempted to disrupt the pilgrimage throughout the '80s, though their plots were repeatedly quashed by Saudi security forces. In 1987, however, Iranian pilgrims incited a riot that killed more than 400 people, according to globalsecuity.org, a stark illustration of the rift between Shiite-ruled Iran and Sunni dominated Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has not seen the kind of protests now roiling countries like Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, but people there lack many basic freedoms. Political participation is limited. The Saudi government has been politically sensitive to its people since the outset of the Arab Spring, spending billions on domestic programs aimed at improving the lot of its citizenry. And scholars say that Saudi Arabia has supported anti-government forces in some Arab countries, including rebels in Libya and protestors in Syria. "I can't image anybody is going to show up in Mecca denouncing the royal family," says Juan Cole, a Middle East specialist at the University of Michigan. "A lot of people going to Hajj will be connected with the (Egypt-based) Muslim Brotherhood, which has longstanding good relations with the Saudis." Some experts speculate that Saudi Arabia, which tightly controls the numbers of pilgrims allowed to attend Hajj from each country, is reducing its quotas from certain politically unstable countries to curb the influence of would-be revolutionaries. The U.S. embassies in Egypt and Tunisia, two countries that have seen their governments overthrown this year, did not immediately reply to requests Thursday for statistics on slots for pilgrims granted by Saudi Arabia. Some scholars say the governments of other Arab countries are likely to be reducing the number of pilgrims allowed to attend Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year. "The leaders of Syria, Yemen, Iran and Saudi Arabia are somewhat worried about the Hajj providing a forum for people to trade ideas and strategies and coming home to pick up protests and really find the momentum to get things going," says Pemberton of George Washington University. Since late last year, some Muslim religious happenings in the Arab world have become forums for anti-government activity. In Egypt, Friday afternoon prayers - the most significant prayers of the week for Muslims - served as catalysts for the biggest anti-government demonstrations of the revolution. When Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down in Egypt, the announcement came on a Friday, hours after Egypt's Muslims had observed afternoon prayers. In Libya, rebels reached a turning point in a six-month old civil during Ramadan of this year, when evening prayers at mosques helped ordinary people organize against Moammar Gadhafi's regime. With Gadhafi dead, more Libyans may get to attend this year's Hajj than in years past. Other post-revolution Arab countries may send a more diverse mix of pilgrims. "The biggest effect is the allocation of Hajj visas," said Asim Khwaja, a Harvard University professor specializing in international development. "Some countries did a lottery, some did rationing, and with the government changes, if countries were doing rationing in the past, you can imagine they were sending friends and officials." "Now there may be a more egalitarian mix," Khwaja says. "This will be a more democratic Hajj for the Arab world." |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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I bet you can smell Hajj from Albania.
Did you know there were close to 3 million Catholic young adult pilgrims in Spain this August? Did not see any news on that...
www dot cnn dot com/2011/WORLD/europe/08/21/spain.pope.speech/index.html?iref=allsearch
This is the tyranny over the minds of men that Thomas Jefferson was concerned about.when forming this county(USA). It is a massive cult organized and controlled by clerics for their financial gain. In history it will go the way of all pagan cults but civilization will pay a high price because of ignorance. Free My People
Willian Wright,
While you're partially right about the tyranny of mind by fake Saudi clericks working for the Saudi regime of K 9's who are anything but Muslims, allow me to educate you via shock.
The following verses are not only going to make you sound like a fool, but also prove to you or anyone, anywhere, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the information contained in the Quran had to have come from the creator of universe on account of the scientific details that couldn't have been available to a man who could neither write or read in 7th century Arabia.
– "And the heaven We constructed with might, and we are indeed constantly expanding it".
[Al Dariyat/chapter 51 verse 47]
Need I remind you that the expansion of the universe was only confirmed via Hobble telescope in the early 1990's?! LoL
Unless of course you're saying they had powerful telescopes in 7th century Arabia LoL.
– "The Byzantines forces have been defeated"
[Al Rum/chapter 30 verse 2]
"In the lowest point of land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome"
[Al Rum/chapter 30 verse 3]
Check out your history; in the 7th century the Byzantine army was defeated by the Persian army near the dead sea in Palestine. The area surrounding the Dead Sea is 423 metres below sea level; the lowest poit of land on earth.
Are we to believe that they had tools to measure the lowest, & highest point of land (mount Everest) back in 7th century Arabia or anywhere in the world???!!! LoL
– "And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay"
[Al Muminun/chapter 23 verse 12]
"Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging"
[Al Muminun/chapter 23 verse 13]
"Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a chewed like substance, and We made from that chewed like substance, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah , the best of creators"
[Al Muminun/chapter 23 verse 14]
Are we to believe that they had microscopes to find out that it only takes one sperm to fetilise the female egg as is specifically mentioned in verse 13, & tha's in senveth century Arabia too?! LoL
& are we to believe that they had ultrasound equipment to monitor, on screen, the various embryonic stages back then?! LoL
Because the Arabic word used in verse 14 is moodgha that's Arabic for chewed like substance or gum. Go ahead & view a picture of a foetus in its early stages online & see if it doesn't look like chewed gum.
One last thing for your viewing & mathematical pleasure;
on youtube:
"Speed of Light MIRACLE (Very Shocking...)"
Hey there's this book called "1001 Muslims inventions". You should read it sometime. It's a real eye opener LoL.
And then the Traveller FARTED.
Amen
Traveller - For starters, just to address your fetal development mystery... Duh! They most certainly observed plenty of miscarriages at various stages of development to know what they looked like. No mention that there are millions of sperm in that seminal fluid either. Please travel back to reality, oh bedazzled one!
"This idea of freedom and dignity is spreading like wildfire, and at a gathering like the Hajj it's conceivable that the electricity coming from these ideas will be picked up," says Akbar Ahmed, the chair of Islamic Studies at American University.
The people of the world hope so! We must be free!
Does that mean that 2.5 milion Arabs are going to want the Guy Fawkes "V" masks as well?
@Feast, there aren't many that are aware of Guy Fawkes night and the significance. Better luck next time.
I love the smell of napalm in the morning.................
Saving Muslims from the hajj is quite easy!!! (developed by yours truly based on the studies of Armstrong, Rushdie, Hirsi Ali, Richardson and Bayhaqi)
The Five Steps To Deprogram 1400 Years of Islamic Myths:
( –The Steps take less than two minutes to finish- simply amazing, two minutes to bring peace and rationality to over one billion lost souls- Priceless!!!)
Are you ready?
Using "The 77 Branches of Islamic "faith" a collection compiled by Imam Bayhaqi as a starting point. In it, he explains the essential virtues that reflect true "faith" (iman) through related Qur’anic verses and Prophetic sayings." i.e. a nice summary of the Koran and Islamic beliefs.
The First Five of the 77 Branches:
"1. Belief in Allah"
aka as God, Yahweh, Zeus, Jehovah, Mother Nature, etc. should be added to your self-cleansing neurons.
"2. To believe that everything other than Allah was non-existent. Thereafter, Allah Most High created these things and subsequently they came into existence."
Evolution and the Big Bang or the "Gi-b G-nab" (when the universe starts to recycle) are more plausible and the "akas" for Allah should be included if you continue to be a "crea-tionist".
"3. To believe in the existence of angels."
A major item for neuron cleansing. Angels/de-vils are the mythical creations of ancient civilizations, e.g. Hitt-ites, to explain/define natural events, contacts with their gods, big birds, sudden winds, protectors during the dark nights, etc. No "pretty/ug-ly wingy thingies" ever visited or talked to Mohammed, Jesus, Mary or Joseph or Joe Smith. Today we would classify angels as f–airies and "tin–ker be-lls". Modern de-vils are classified as the de-mons of the de-mented.
"4. To believe that all the heavenly books that were sent to the different prophets are true. However, apart from the Quran, all other books are not valid anymore."
Another major item to delete. There are no books written in the spirit state of Heaven (if there is one) just as there are no angels to write/publish/distribute them. The Koran, OT, NT etc. are simply books written by humans for humans.
Prophets were invented by ancient scribes typically to keep the un-educated masses in line. Today we call them for-tune tellers.
Prophecies are also invali-dated by the natural/God/Allah gifts of Free Will and Future.
"5. To believe that all the prophets are true. However, we are commanded to follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) alone."
Mohammed spent thirty days "fasting" (the Ramadan legend) in a hot cave before his first contact with Allah aka God etc. via a "pretty wingy thingy". Common sense demands a neuron deletion of #5. #5 is also the major source of Islamic vi-olence i.e. turning Mohammed's "fast, hunger-driven" hallu-cinations into horrible reality for unbelievers.
Walk these Five Steps and we guarantee a complete recovery from your Islamic ways!!!!
Unfortunately, there are not many Muslim commentators/readers on this blog so the "two-minute" cure is not getting to those who need it. If you have a Muslim friend, send him a copy and help save the world.
Analogous steps are available at your request for deprogramming the myths of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Paganism..
Reality,
Former actor Charleton Heston once said to bill Clinton:
"Mr President, when what you say is wrong that is a mistake. When you know what you say is wrong that is a lie" LoL.
I'm only going to pick on one point because it would be a waste of my time to go through all the nonsense you wrote.
Prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, did not spend 30 days of Ramadan in a cave starving himself before he received the revelation. I don't know here in the H. you concocted that or picked it up, but it's a load of Bull & you know it. & by the way, Ramadan is the month of fasting & we fast from sun rise to sun set only. That includes abstaining from food, liquids, bad language, physical intimacy, slandering & so on. But you knew that right?! LoL
The Prophet used to, as did all the Prophets before him, go spend a couple days in the cave of Hira' from time to time as we all do go out hiking & camping or to the top of a mountain for a vantage point, reflection, & peace & quiet, & to get away from it all, when it all becomes too much for us to deal with characters like you for instance LoL.
But here comes the worse for you. The following verses are going to prove to you or anyone, anywhere, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the information contained in the Quran had to have come from the creator of universe on account of the scientific details that couldn't have been available to a man who could neither write or read in 7th century Arabia.
– "And the heaven We constructed with might, and we are indeed constantly expanding it".
[Al Dariyat/chapter 51 verse 47]
Need I remind you that the expansion of the universe was only confirmed via Hobble telescope in the early 1990's?! LoL
Unless of course you're saying they had powerful telescopes in 7th century Arabia LoL.
– "The Byzantines forces have been defeated"
[Al Rum/chapter 30 verse 2]
"In the lowest point of land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome"
[Al Rum/chapter 30 verse 3]
Check out your history; in the 7th century the Byzantine army was defeated by the Persian army near the dead sea in Palestine. The area surrounding the Dead Sea is 423 metres below sea level; the lowest poit of land on earth.
Are we to believe that they had tools to measure the lowest, & highest point of land (mount Everest) back in 7th century Arabia or anywhere in the world???!!! LoL
– "And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay"
[Al Muminun/chapter 23 verse 12]
"Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging"
[Al Muminun/chapter 23 verse 13]
"Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a chewed like substance, and We made from that chewed like substance, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah , the best of creators"
[Al Muminun/chapter 23 verse 14]
Are we to believe that they had microscopes to find out that it only takes one sperm to fetilise the female egg as is specifically mentioned in verse 13, & tha's in senveth century Arabia too?! LoL
& are we to believe that they had ultrasound equipment to monitor, on screen, the various embryonic stages back then?! LoL
Because the Arabic word used in verse 14 is moodgha that's Arabic for chewed like substance or gum. Go ahead & view a picture of a foetus in its early stages online & see if it doesn't look like chewed gum.
One last thing for your viewing & mathematical pleasure;
on youtube:
"Speed of Light MIRACLE (Very Shocking...)"
Hey there's this book called "1001 Muslims inventions". You should read it sometime. It's a real eye opener LoL.
"Born in 570 in the Arabian city of Mecca,[8] he (Mohammed) was orphaned at an early age and brought up under the care of his uncle Abu Talib. He later worked mostly as a merchant, as well as a shepherd, and was first married by age 25. Discontented with life in Mecca, he retreated to a cave in the surrounding mountains for meditation and reflection. According to Islamic beliefs it was here, at age 40, in the month of Ramadan, where he received his first revelation from God. Three years after this event Muhammad started preaching these revelations publicly, proclaiming that "God is One", that complete "surrender" to Him (lit. islām) is the only way (dīn)[n 7] acceptable to God, and that he himself was a prophet and messenger of God, in the same vein as other Islamic prophets.[6][9][10]"
"Ramadan is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Qur'an began to be revealed."
It is called the Infamous Angelic Con:
Joe Smith had his Moroni.
Jehovah Witnesses have their Jesus /Michael the archangel, the first angelic being created by God;
Mohammed had his Gabriel (this "tin-kerbell" got around).
Jesus and his family had Michael, Gabriel, and Satan, the latter being a modern day dem-on of the de-mented.
The Abraham-Moses myths had their Angel of Death and other "no-namers" to do their dirty work or other assorted duties.
Contemporary biblical and religious scholars have relegated these "pretty wingie thingies" to the myth pile. We should do the same to include deleting all references to them in our religious operating manuals. Doing this will eliminate the prophet/profit/prophecy status of these founders and put them where they belong as simple humans just like the rest of us.
Some added references to "tink-erbells".
"Latter-day Saints also believe that Michael the Archangel was Adam (the first man) when he was mortal, and Gabriel lived on the earth as Noah."
Apparently hallu-cinations did not stop with Joe Smith.
newadvent.org/cathen/07049c.htm
"The belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity; pagans, like Menander and Plutarch (cf. Euseb., "Praep. Evang.", xii), and Neo-Platonists, like Plotinus, held it. It was also the belief of the Babylonians and As-syrians, as their monuments testify, for a figure of a guardian angel now in the British Museum once decorated an As-syrian palace, and might well serve for a modern representation; while Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, says: "He (Marduk) sent a tutelary deity (cherub) of grace to go at my side; in everything that I did, he made my work to succeed."
Catholic monks and Dark Age theologians also did their share of hallu-cinating:
"TUBUAS-A member of the group of angels who were removed from the ranks of officially recognized celestial hierarchy in 745 by a council in Rome under Pope Zachary. He was joined by Uriel, Adimus, Sabaoth, Simiel, and Raguel."
And tin-ker- bells go way, way back:
"In Zoroastrianism there are different angel like creatures. For example each person has a guardian angel called Fravashi. They patronize human being and other creatures and also manifest god’s energy. Also, the Amesha Spentas have often been regarded as angels, but they don't convey messages, but are rather emanations of Ahura Mazda ("Wise Lord", God); they appear in an abstract fashion in the religious thought of Zarathustra and then later (during the Achaemenid period of Zoroastrianism) became personalized, associated with an aspect of the divine creation (fire, plants, water...)."
"The beginnings of the biblical belief in angels must be sought in very early folklore. The gods of the Hitti-tes and Canaanites had their supernatural messengers, and parallels to the Old Testament stories of angels are found in Near Eastern literature. "
"The 'Magic Papyri' contain many spells to secure just such help and protection of angels. From magic traditions arose the concept of the guardian angel. "
Only for the those interested in a religious update:
1. origin: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20E1EFE35540C7A8CDDAA0894DA404482
“New Torah For Modern Minds
Abraham, the Jewish patriarch, probably never existed. Nor did Moses. The entire Exodus story as recounted in the Bible probably never occurred. The same is true of the tumbling of the walls of Jericho. And David, far from being the fearless king who built Jerusalem into a mighty capital, was more likely a provincial leader whose reputation was later magnified to provide a rallying point for a fledgling nation.
Such startling propositions – the product of findings by archaeologists digging in Israel and its environs over the last 25 years – have gained wide acceptance among non-Orthodox rabbis. But there has been no attempt to disseminate these ideas or to discuss them with the laity – until now.
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which represents the 1.5 million Conservative Jews in the United States, has just issued a new Torah and commentary, the first for Conservatives in more than 60 years. Called "Etz Hayim" ("Tree of Life" in Hebrew), it offers an interpretation that incorporates the latest findings from archaeology, philology, anthropology and the study of ancient cultures. To the editors who worked on the book, it represents one of the boldest efforts ever to introduce into the religious mainstream a view of the Bible as a human rather than divine docu-ment. “
2. Jesus was an illiterate Jewish peasant/carpenter/simple preacher man who suffered from hallucinations (or “mythicizing” from P, M, M, L and J) and who has been characterized anywhere from the Messiah from Nazareth to a mythical character from mythical Nazareth to a ma-mzer from Nazareth (Professor Bruce Chilton, in his book Rabbi Jesus). An-alyses of Jesus’ life by many contemporary NT scholars (e.g. Professors Ludemann, Crossan, Borg and Fredriksen, ) via the NT and related doc-uments have concluded that only about 30% of Jesus' sayings and ways noted in the NT were authentic. The rest being embellishments (e.g. miracles)/hallucinations made/had by the NT authors to impress various Christian, Jewish and Pagan sects.
The 30% of the NT that is "authentic Jesus" like everything in life was borrowed/plagiarized and/or improved from those who came before. In Jesus' case, it was the ways and sayings of the Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Hitt-ites, Canaanites, OT, John the Baptizer and possibly the ways and sayings of traveling Greek Cynics.
earlychristianwritings.com/theories.html
For added "pizzazz", Catholic theologians divided god the singularity into three persons and invented atonement as an added guilt trip for the "pew people" to go along with this trinity of overseers. By doing so, they made god the padre into god the "filicider".
Current RCC problems:
Pedophiliac priests, an all-male, mostly white hierarchy, atonement theology and original sin!!!!
3., Luther, Calvin, Joe Smith, Henry VIII, Wesley, Roger Williams, the Great “Babs” et al, founders of Christian-based religions or combination religions also suffered from the belief in/hallucinations of "pretty wingie thingie" visits and "prophecies" for profits analogous to the myths of Catholicism (resurrections, apparitions, ascensions and immacu-late co-nceptions).
Current problems:
Adulterous preachers, pedophiliac clerics, "propheteering/ profiteering" evangelicals and atonement theology,
3. Mohammed was an illiterate, womanizing, lust and greed-driven, warmongering, hallucinating Arab, who also had embellishing/hallucinating/plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.
This agenda continues as shown by the ma-ssacre in Mumbai, the as-sas-sinations of Bhutto and Theo Van Gogh, the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the Islamic bombers of the trains in the UK and Spain, the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani “koranics”, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases, the Taliban nut jobs, the Ft. Hood follower of the koran, and the Filipino “koranics”.
And who funds this muck and stench of terror? The warmongering, Islamic, Shiite terror and torture theocracy of Iran aka the Third Axis of Evil and also the Sunni "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.
Current crises:
The Sunni-Shiite blood feud and the warmongering, womanizing (11 wives), hallucinating founder.
5. Hinduism (from an online Hindu site) – "Hinduism cannot be described as an organized religion. It is not founded by any individual. Hinduism is God centered and therefore one can call Hinduism as founded by God, because the answer to the question ‘Who is behind the eternal principles and who makes them work?’ will have to be ‘Cosmic power, Divine power, God’."
The caste/laborer system, reincarnation and cow worship/reverence are problems when saying a fair and rational God founded Hinduism."
Current problems:
The caste system, reincarnation and cow worship/reverence.
6. Buddhism- "Buddhism began in India about 500 years before the birth of Christ. The people living at that time had become disillusioned with certain beliefs of Hinduism including the caste system, which had grown extremely complex. The number of outcasts (those who did not belong to any particular caste) was continuing to grow."
"However, in Buddhism, like so many other religions, fanciful stories arose concerning events in the life of the founder, Siddhartha Gautama (fifth century B.C.):"
Archaeological discoveries have proved, beyond a doubt, his historical character, but apart from the legends we know very little about the circu-mstances of his life. e.g. Buddha by one legend was supposedly talking when he came out of his mother's womb.
Bottom line: There are many good ways of living but be aware of the hallucinations, embellishments, lies, and myths surrounding the founders and foundations of said rules of life.
Then, apply the Five F rule: "First Find the Flaws, then Fix the Foundations". And finally there will be religious peace and religious awareness in the world!!!!!
Are you kidding me???? Why would they even consider writing this is the largest gathering of humanity??? These folks, their beliefs, actions and fanatacism should not be associated with humans or human behavior. Looks like a good spot for a drone attack!
but they are human, whether you like it or not!! and there's alot of them too. So you should'nt be too sad for the billion+ 'lost souls' as you described them, gives more room in heaven for believers, like yourself!!
I dare you!!
Let me think....hmmmm.....YOU'LL don't want to get 1.3 – 1.5 billion people unite to kick your and your jeish friends ass....do ya, h-uh...do ya???
Wow; this is gonna be kool; all those folks wearing their underwear on top of their heads.......
they should solve the 7 billion population crisis by wiping out these hairy chimps
I'm surprised Israel hasn't nuked this yet.
Do not wonder much; the answer is that you're an idiotttt.
And then idiot religious people [JEWS/CHRISTIANS/MUSLIMS] destroyed the world.
They could not prepare colonies in Mars or Moon or a space station as they wanted to make a church there. Idiot Religious people will one day destroy our earth.
"the biggest annual gathering of humanity"??? I highly doubt that. I had been to Beijing's train station right before Chinese new year. I was truly SCARED!
a perfect target for falling space debris. they can all go to heaven and claim their 100 virgins
its 99 virgins to be exact, Ray...
a gathering of mental patients.........
Check it out in THERELIGIONOFPEACE dot com
Occupy Hajj... nice.
You have to be smoking Obama's old crack pipe to believe in this media nonsense about an "Arab Spring." One can never reconcile Islamic neanderthals with woman's rights, universal suffrage and Western democracy.
You mean like how an American colony could never do it? Or an English monarch?
YES!! Finally someone brings up what no one else would say but which everyone knows to the be truth: (A) that what has happened in the Middle East / Africa over the past year is really nothing special, (B) that Obama is at fault if you think otherwise and (C) that Obama smokes and / or encourages crack.
Thank you for clearing that up.
comments about Islam are baseless pls read first about this great religion first. I am sure yr ideas will be change.
great religion that was born in violence and spreads violence throughout the world...really great!
What's "great" about islam? Please enlighten us .....with proof!
What, this "great religion" whos followers NEVER seem to speak up about the attrocities against humanity that the religion encourages?
Your over-arching assumption that all comments about Islam come from uninformed people is just that. I am familiar with the tenets of Islam and contrary to your assumption, my feelings have not changed. Moderate Muslims, if there are such beings, need to initiate reform. The sooner the better. Just sign me, Son of Apes and Pigs.
I don't know, but the guy that lives across the street from me has the police at his house all the time. His wife is in Iran half the year, and his kids eat too much candy. I saw his son sneak into his own house through a window when he saw his dad's car in the driveway, and their dog poops in my yard and they don't clean it up. Enough said about Muslims!!, Oh, and they didn't give out candy during Halloween and their other son misses the school bus all the time.....I am glad I got that off my chest.
Islam is a good religion, but the problem is people are looking way too much in to how other people are practicing it rather than looking at the actual basis and principles of Islam, which are in the Qur'an. The words are there and if read correctly, without any bias or a closed mind, one will find that the things that extremists do is not part of Islam at all. The knowledge is all there, you've just to to take it with a mind that isn't biased or closed to things.
And here is finally a comment that doesn't bash Islam OR other religions either. Because part of Islam is that people need to be accepting and kind toward others even if they don't believe what those others do. Now no one hears about that side of Islam do they? But it's there for people to see, as long as they don't turn a blind eye to it.
Daryl,
The biggest problem with Muslims are that they are not following teachings of the prophet and setting up good examples of Islam to others. Muslim needs to start practicing Islam so everyone can know how beautiful and peaceful this religion is.
wellcome brother everyone knows islam is the right religion but they fear the truth, its the only book that was not touched or changed how great is god
The largest gathering of humanity is not the Muslim festival of Hajj, it is the Hindu festival of Khumbu Mela held in Allehabad, India. It is held every 12 years and up to 40 million people attend. Get the story straight CNN.
how many times are you going to say this? Actually the largest gathering ever was my cousin Bill's wedding. He had over 50 million guests. Most of them were mosquitoes but man did they know how to party.
Cnn was close, very close.
It says largest annual gathering, meaning it occurs once a year. The Purna Kumbh Mela occurs every 12 years. It is not annual.
I was at Bill's wedding!!!
largest ANNUAL gathering you big dummy, did you fail reading comprehension?
The authors said "largest ANNUAL gathering" so they are right as the gathering you mentioned is held every 12 years, not ANNUALLY.
They said largest ANNUAL gathering. Read it again.
So now CNN is biased towards Muslims??? After doing a great job of portraying them as terrorists and murderers for the past 10 years, what brought about this change??
Bob, I know this scares you, but look 12 years in not ANNUAL. Haj is the largest ANNUAL gathering. BTW, could you post a reference on your every 12 year festival of 40 million people, should be even visible from space; or is it just something you came up with?
Man what I wouldn't give to have a license to set up a tofu hotdog stand there. Dogs would be $6.95 and a large Coke would be 5.95 - but if you get a pretzel the package deal would be $14.
Now thats Capitalism; lol............hoorah!!
The largest gathering of humanity is not the Muslim festival of Hajj, it is the Hindu festival of Khumbu Mela held in Allehabad, India. It is held every 12 years and up to 40 million people attend. Get the story straight CNN.
It said largest gathering of Muslims, not of humanity. Read before you complain.
Le Sigh.
the biggest annual gathering of humanity, period
ANNUAL gathering. That means once per year. You are both wrong.
"the biggest annual gathering of humanity, period....."
"Read before you complain...." Uh, Terran......
The article says the Hajj is "the biggest annual gathering of humanity," and "annual" means every year. An event that happens every 12 years (for example Khumbu Mela) is not "annual."
CNN is occupied with all Muslim thugs. You never get strait news from them anyway. It has become Corrupted News Network
That was my first thought as well. Apparently CNN can't use Wikipedia.
largest ANNUAL gathering of humanity...
Looking at the top pic, all I could think of was "I hope the roof is well braced." There are a LOT of people up there.
It must take hours to even get near the Kabba, let alone onto the grounds of the Grande Mosque in the first place.