Saudi King Abdullah has died

[Vosem]

Comparing U.S. responses to the deaths of Abdullah and Hugo Chavez.

Indeed, it is disgusting that no mention was made of the horrible abuses committed by either dictator.

[politicus]

Comparing U.S. responses to the deaths of Abdullah and Hugo Chavez.

Indeed, it is disgusting that no mention was made of the horrible abuses committed by either dictator.

Chavez was many things, but hardly a dictator.

[ag]

Comparing U.S. responses to the deaths of Abdullah and Hugo Chavez.

Indeed, it is disgusting that no mention was made of the horrible abuses committed by either dictator.

Chavez was many things, but hardly a dictator.

Have to agree.

In fact, neither was Abdullah. He was a king - in the most traditional sense of that word. You could call him a despot, I guess

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

This thread reminds me about how happy I still am about Chavez going to the great shantytown in the sky.

[ag]

This thread reminds me about how happy I still am about Chavez going to the great shantytown in the sky.

Why? Besides everything else, do you REALLY prefer Maduro?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

This thread reminds me about how happy I still am about Chavez going to the great shantytown in the sky.

Why? Besides everything else, do you REALLY prefer Maduro?

Fair point about Maduro.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Flags at half mast in this country today. Disgusting.

Just like Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Augusto Pinochet, or Francisco Franco before him, King Abdullah provided much needed stability or something.

[Phony Moderate]

Louise Mensch has re-affirmed my view that 'nutty' Tories are, in general, better human beings than so-called 'moderate' Tories.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

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lol wtf, quality mensch, hahaha

[politicus]

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lol wtf, quality mensch, hahaha

FF

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Flags at half mast in this country today. Disgusting.

Ironically it is forbidden to fly their flag at half mast.

Indeed. That's because Saudi flag contains Shahada.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Comparing U.S. responses to the deaths of Abdullah and Hugo Chavez.

Indeed, it is disgusting that no mention was made of the horrible abuses committed by either dictator.

Yeah seriously. It's disgusting no mention was made of public beheadings, floggings, amputations, total subjugation of women and numerous other horrible abuses under the Chavez regime!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Regarding Simfan's posts on this page: As I said recently in another thread, at least we can trust the people in charge of Iran not to bulldoze Persepolis to build a parking garage or something.

Well, that may certainly be true nowadays, but it's not for lack of trying by some. However it certainly does not compare to the apparently serious consideration currently being given to the idea of demolishing the tomb of Muhammad and re-interring him in an unmarked grave (as king Abdullah has been), an idea endorsed by the Saudi Grand Mufti and the late khatib of the Masjid al-Haram, and something Wahabists have been trying to do since the early 19th century.

The Wahabis already destroyed most of the artifacts of the Prophet's time: Muhammad's birthplace, his house in Medina, the tombs of his mother (which they doused in gasoline and burnt), father, wives, and daughter, to name a few. From a historiographical perspective it is a tremendous loss, an act of mass vandalism; from a religious perspective the toll must be incalculable. I'm surprised that you don't hear more about it, even from Islamic sources. It's the same thing al-Qaeda did in Bamiyan, Ansar Dine in Timbuktu, and what Da'esh is now doing in Iraq and Syria, and for the same reason.

While not the real reason, the Saudis have cloaked a lot of the damage they have done to Mecca under the guise of being able to handle the swarms of pilgrims that come each year.  Given the deaths that regularly occur as pilgrims rush to complete their tasks in the limited time allotted, that's not entirely unfounded.  Indeed, something had to be done.  The only alternative to some program of massive construction would have been to even more limit the numbers allowed than is currently the case.  The advent of air travel has profoundly affected the hajj by making it possible for many more people to make the pilgrimage than had previously been the case

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You could call him a despot, I guess

There's also tyrant, of course.

[Insula Dei]

Regarding Simfan's posts on this page: As I said recently in another thread, at least we can trust the people in charge of Iran not to bulldoze Persepolis to build a parking garage or something.

Well, that may certainly be true nowadays, but it's not for lack of trying by some. However it certainly does not compare to the apparently serious consideration currently being given to the idea of demolishing the tomb of Muhammad and re-interring him in an unmarked grave (as king Abdullah has been), an idea endorsed by the Saudi Grand Mufti and the late khatib of the Masjid al-Haram, and something Wahabists have been trying to do since the early 19th century.

The Wahabis already destroyed most of the artifacts of the Prophet's time: Muhammad's birthplace, his house in Medina, the tombs of his mother (which they doused in gasoline and burnt), father, wives, and daughter, to name a few. From a historiographical perspective it is a tremendous loss, an act of mass vandalism; from a religious perspective the toll must be incalculable. I'm surprised that you don't hear more about it, even from Islamic sources. It's the same thing al-Qaeda did in Bamiyan, Ansar Dine in Timbuktu, and what Da'esh is now doing in Iraq and Syria, and for the same reason.

There should be some sort of competition for the Middle Eastern country that is worst at taking care of its heritage. Egypt's ineptitude since 2011 has also been pretty horrifying. And this just is pure slapstick.

[Indy Texas]

Regarding Simfan's posts on this page: As I said recently in another thread, at least we can trust the people in charge of Iran not to bulldoze Persepolis to build a parking garage or something.

Well, that may certainly be true nowadays, but it's not for lack of trying by some. However it certainly does not compare to the apparently serious consideration currently being given to the idea of demolishing the tomb of Muhammad and re-interring him in an unmarked grave (as king Abdullah has been), an idea endorsed by the Saudi Grand Mufti and the late khatib of the Masjid al-Haram, and something Wahabists have been trying to do since the early 19th century.

The Wahabis already destroyed most of the artifacts of the Prophet's time: Muhammad's birthplace, his house in Medina, the tombs of his mother (which they doused in gasoline and burnt), father, wives, and daughter, to name a few. From a historiographical perspective it is a tremendous loss, an act of mass vandalism; from a religious perspective the toll must be incalculable. I'm surprised that you don't hear more about it, even from Islamic sources. It's the same thing al-Qaeda did in Bamiyan, Ansar Dine in Timbuktu, and what Da'esh is now doing in Iraq and Syria, and for the same reason.

There should be some sort of competition for the Middle Eastern country that is worst at taking care of its heritage. Egypt's ineptitude since 2011 has also been pretty horrifying. And this just is pure slapstick.

Developing world antiquities ministries handle national artifacts in about the same way a for-profit corporation would -- run things quick, cheap and dirty; nickel and dime the tourists to death and assume most of them are too dumb or in too much of a hurry to know the difference or complain.

Comparing, say, the National Parks Service to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities is like comparing a marine biology research facility to Sea World.

[Simfan34]

See the tiny black dot there? That's the most sacred site in Islam.

Now look what's happened:

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34226003

[Simfan34]

Up to 102

e:

Flags at half mast in this country today. Disgusting.

Just like Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Augusto Pinochet, or Francisco Franco before him, King Abdullah provided much needed stability or something.

Not sure I can excuse Pinochet, but yes. Yes they did. None of these men spent tens of billions of dollars spreading their radical fundamentalist religious ideology around the world, either.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Up to 102

I saw 107. Ridiculous how they've practically bulldozed all of Mecca but that black box.

[2952-0-0]

That clock tower looks like it was teleported from Moscow under Stalin. What a shame for such a sacred place.

[Cory]

That clock tower looks like it was teleported from Moscow under Stalin. What a shame for such a sacred place.

Not a shame at all, but rather a fitting tribute to the authoritarianism that constitutes most of modern Islam.

Hitchens and Dawkins were right.

[ingemann]

That clock tower looks like it was teleported from Moscow under Stalin. What a shame for such a sacred place.

Not a shame at all, but rather a fitting tribute to the authoritarianism that constitutes most of modern Islam.

Good description, I must honestly also say, I don't much care when Muslims destroy their own heritage, that's their business, and it doesn't really look like any Muslim group care enough about to call the Saudis out, so why should I care?

[Panda Express]

Pretty bad death toll this year at the Hajj. Over 700 killed in a stampede near Mecca

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34346449

[Blue3]

Why does Mecca always have stampedes?


But this thread title should be updated. Whenever this thread is bumped, I think the new Saudi King has died

[Middle-aged Europe]

But this thread title should be updated. Whenever this thread is bumped, I think the new Saudi King has died

Could happen any day now...