Islamic heritage under threat ... by Muslims

The Satanic Verses. Submission.The Danish cartoons. Fitna. In order to voice their discontent Muslims haven taken to book burning, murder, street protests and, in a best-case scenario, dragged people to court.

Yet there is an almost deafening silence when Saudi radicals – in line with the doctrines and habits of Wahhabism, demolish Muslim and Arab cultural heritage and erect Manhattan-like skyscrapers around the Kaaba instead.

Again lips are sealed when it comes to the attacks on holy Shia shrines carried out by Saudi-incited Sunni terrorists. Islamic heritage is literally bulldozed off the face of the earth under the pretext that it is shirk.

Someone who refuses to keep quiet is Dr. Irfan al-Alawi, a leading Islamic scholar on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. He is also the co-chairman of the Islamic Heritage Foundation and director of the Centre for Islamic Pluralism. He's a university lecturer and barrister of Law.

Al Alawi has written extensively on the subject for renown British newspapers such as The Guardian and The Independent, drawing attention to the outrageous decadence displayed by the Saudi royalities, like the diamond studded Mercedes of Prince Al-Walid.

While visiting me in Hilversum, Irfan showed me loads of pictures of the unbridled destruction spree of the Wahabis, such as the grave of Muhammad's mother, Amina bint Wahb, that has been bulldozed. And let's not forget about the house of Abu Bakr Siddiq, the closest companion of Muhammad, that has been replaced by the Mecca Hilton Hotel.

Another holy place that was sent into oblivion was the house of Khadija, the prophet’s first wife. Its presence was concealed by sand and to make things worse, public toilets were erected on the spot where Muhammad had slept. The aim, once again, was to discourage prayer at the site.

And we worry about the Danish cartoons or Fitna … In my book that is called double standards. Irfan is presently in Leiden, Hotel De Doelen, and will only be here for two more days before going back to the UK.

Post scriptum
One latest example of these ‘pious’ Muslims with their petrodollars: The crown prince of the United Arab Emirates of Dubai who bought a female camel yesterday for a record sum of 2.72 million dollars at a camel beauty pageant.