The Grand Mosque in Mecca can hold almost 2 million people

[DigitalDrifter]

Welcome to the future ladies and gentlemen, this religion is going to cascade over this entire planet eventually.

Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying during the Night of Power at the Grand Mosque in MeccaThe photographs were taken from the Abraj al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock TowerContaining Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, the Grand Mosque can hold almost two million peopleOne of the Five Pillars of Islam requires that every Muslim perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Kaaba at least once

Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying during the Night of Power at the Grand Mosque in MeccaThe photographs were taken from the Abraj al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock TowerContaining Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, the Grand Mosque can hold almost two million peopleOne of the Five Pillars of Islam requires that every Muslim perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Kaaba at least once

Read more: Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying
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[aris2chat]

by threat, fear or sword
Islam however is not supposed to impose others of the book to convert. Seems too many muslims missed that part.

 

[the_human_being]

Welcome to the future ladies and gentlemen, this religion is going to cascade over this entire planet eventually.

Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying during the Night of Power at the Grand Mosque in MeccaThe photographs were taken from the Abraj al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock TowerContaining Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, the Grand Mosque can hold almost two million peopleOne of the Five Pillars of Islam requires that every Muslim perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Kaaba at least once

Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying during the Night of Power at the Grand Mosque in MeccaThe photographs were taken from the Abraj al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock TowerContaining Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, the Grand Mosque can hold almost two million peopleOne of the Five Pillars of Islam requires that every Muslim perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Kaaba at least once

Read more: Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Indeed. I understand one of the side deals Obama made with Iran than when Obama leaves office he will be made Mullah over the Islamic religion in America. The Democrats and the Supreme Court will soon have Christianity totally destroyed. The influx of refugees will add to the new Mullah's flock and soon Islam will replace Christianity as America's national religion thus preventing our ever being involved in a war with Iran or any other Muslim nation. I also understand Obama is keen on taking over the sprawling Saddleback complex of Pastor Rick Warren as his mosque and headquarters here in the U.S.

 

[Godboy]

Maybe this isnt such a bad thing. It just takes one well timed earth quake...

 

[aris2chat]

Maybe this isnt such a bad thing. It just takes one well timed earth quake...

Earthquakes in Mecca, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - Most Recent

 

[waltky]

Saudi's lookin' into crane collapse...

Mecca crane collapse: Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster
12 September 2015 - Saudi Arabia has begun an investigation into why a crane collapsed in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, killing at least 107 people. The huge red crane crashed into a part of the Grand Mosque as it was filled with worshippers, less than two weeks before the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Officials say strong winds and heavy rains caused the crane to fall.

Correspondents say there have previously been concerns about safety on Saudi construction sites. The Grand Mosque, known as the Masjid al-Haram, is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba. At least 230 people were injured in the incident. It is unclear how many people were hurt by the collapse or the stampede that followed it. Those killed are reported to include Indonesian, Indian, Iranian and Egyptian citizens. The incident happened at 17:23 local time (14:23 GMT) on Friday.

Videos posted online showed the moment the structure collapsed, with a loud crash followed by panic and shouting. Bodies and blood could be seen on the floor of the mosque. The head of Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency, Lt Sulayman Bin-Abdullah al-Amr, said an investigation was being carried out to assess the damage, and the "extent of the safety of these sites". Essam al-Ghalib, a Jeddah-based journalist, said the crane fell through the outer ring of the Grand Mosque and punctured through the roof sending down tonnes of cement and debris onto people either praying or walking through.

Up to two million people are expected to arrive in Mecca for the Hajj from all over the world later this month. Saudi officials say the crane disaster will not prevent the Hajj going ahead. Irfan Al-Alawi, from the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, told the BBC that the Grand Mosque is currently surrounded by 15 large cranes amid major redevelopment work. "The entire area is like a salvage yard," Mr Al-Alawi said. "Saudi Arabia has to re-think its health and safety strategy," he said, "as there were 800,000 people in the mosque area at the time of the accident."

The original parts of the Grand Mosque date back 1,400 years. Consisting of a large square surrounded by covered prayer areas, the building has since been extensively modernised, notably from the mid-20th Century. Saudi authorities began a major expansion of the site last year to increase the area of the mosque by 400,000 square metres (4.3 million square feet), to allow it to accommodate up to 2.2 million people at once.

Mecca crane collapse: Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster - BBC News

 

[TheOldSchool]

Welcome to the future ladies and gentlemen, this religion is going to cascade over this entire planet eventually.

Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying during the Night of Power at the Grand Mosque in MeccaThe photographs were taken from the Abraj al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock TowerContaining Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, the Grand Mosque can hold almost two million peopleOne of the Five Pillars of Islam requires that every Muslim perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Kaaba at least once

Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying during the Night of Power at the Grand Mosque in MeccaThe photographs were taken from the Abraj al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock TowerContaining Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, the Grand Mosque can hold almost two million peopleOne of the Five Pillars of Islam requires that every Muslim perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Kaaba at least once

Read more: Breathtaking aerial images show millions of Muslim worshippers praying
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Indeed. I understand one of the side deals Obama made with Iran than when Obama leaves office he will be made Mullah over the Islamic religion in America. The Democrats and the Supreme Court will soon have Christianity totally destroyed. The influx of refugees will add to the new Mullah's flock and soon Islam will replace Christianity as America's national religion thus preventing our ever being involved in a war with Iran or any other Muslim nation. I also understand Obama is keen on taking over the sprawling Saddleback complex of Pastor Rick Warren as his mosque and headquarters here in the U.S.

Yeah I believe that too.

Wait nvm, I'm not a lunatic.

 

[waltky]

The Binladin family?...

Saudi blames Mecca Grand Mosque crane collapse on high winds
Sep 12,`15 -- High winds were to blame for the toppling of a massive crane that smashed into Mecca's Grand Mosque and killed at least 107 people ahead of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage, the head of Saudi Arabia's civil defense directorate said Saturday.

The disaster during a violent thunderstorm that roared through Islam's holiest city late Friday afternoon was the deadliest incident in years surrounding the hajj, which gets underway in full later this month. Images shared on social media showed a horrifying scene. The crane boom pierced through the roof of the mosque, bringing down slabs of reinforced concrete and leaving bodies lying amid pools of blood on the polished mosque floors as frightened survivors screamed in panic. The director general of civil defense, Suleiman bin Abdullah al-Amro, told satellite broadcaster Al-Arabiya that the unusually powerful winds that toppled the crane also tore down trees and signs as a storm whipped through the area.

He denied reports that lightning brought down the red-and-white crane, which was being used for the mosque's expansion, or that some of those killed died in a stampede. "The speed of the wind was not normal," he said. "There was no way for people to know that the crane was about to collapse for them to scramble," he added. An amateur video circulating online, however, appeared to show a frantic scramble in the moments after the crane collapsed as scores of people pushed and jostled one another in a struggle to get out. At least 238 people were injured in the accident, according to civil defense figures. Authorities did not provide details on the victims' nationalities, but it was likely that the tragedy will touch several countries. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his condolences and said the U.S. stands with Saudi Arabia and "all Muslims around the world in the aftermath of this dreadful incident at one of Islam's holiest sites."

A towering construction crane is seen collapsed over the Grand Mosque, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, early Saturday morning, Sept. 12, 2015. The towering construction crane toppled over on Friday during a violent rainstorm in the Saudi city of Mecca, Islam's holiest site, crashing into the Grand Mosque and killing over a hundred people, ahead of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage later this month.

The Grand Mosque and the cube-shaped Kaaba within it draw Muslims of all types from around the world throughout the year, though numbers increase significantly in the run-up to the hajj. The mosque is Islam's holiest site, and Muslims the world over pray in the direction of the Kaaba, which is also at the heart of the hajj rituals. Performing the pilgrimage during one's lifetime is a duty for all able-bodied adult Muslims. This year's pilgrimage is expected to start around Sept. 22. Nearly 910,000 pilgrims have already arrived in the country for this year's hajj season, according to official figures. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Mansouri, the spokesman for the presidency of Mecca and Medina mosque affairs, said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency that the crane struck a circular area around the Kaaba and a nearby walkway.

The crane was one of several surrounding the mosque to support an ongoing expansion of the sanctuary. Steep hills and low-rise traditional buildings that once surrounded the mosque have in recent years given way to shopping malls and luxury hotels - among them the world's third-tallest building, a giant clock tower that is the centerpiece of the Abraj al-Bait complex. The construction giant Saudi Binladin Group is leading the mosque expansion and also built the Abraj al-Bait project. The Binladin family has been close to the ruling Al Saud family for decades and oversees major building projects around the country. The Binladen family disowned one of its many members, late al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, in the 1990s.

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[bodecea]

Maybe this isnt such a bad thing. It just takes one well timed earth quake...

Gee, if only your god really was there and listened to your prayers.

 

[HenryBHough]

Sad the timing was so far off.

 

[waltky]

The hajj must go on...

Hajj Pilgrimage to Proceed After Tragedy at Grand Mosque
September 12, 2015 | Saudi officials have pledged this year’s Hajj pilgrimage will go ahead despite a crane collapse that killed 107 people and injured more than 230 at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

The huge crane crashed through a ceiling of the mosque as worshipers gathered for Friday prayers, just days ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage at one of Islam's holiest sites. The head of Saudi’s civil defense authority, Suleiman al-Amr, said high winds during a storm caused the disaster. Prince Khaled al-Faisal, governor of the Mecca region, has ordered an investigation into the incident and was heading to the mosque Saturday. Pictures circulating on social media showed pilgrims in bloodied robes and masses of debris from a part of the crane that crashed. Work has been underway to expand the mosque compound.

A towering construction crane, center, is seen collapsed over the Grand Mosque, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

A sound technician at the mosque, Mohammed Tahir, told VOA's Urdu service that weather was a factor in the collapse. “It was raining heavily with strong gusty winds when a master crane became unbalanced due to the strong winds," he said. "The crane ... fell inside the mataf [the inner area of the grand mosque].” An engineer for Saudi Binladin Group, which is carrying out the mosque expansion, told the French news agency AFP on Saturday that the accident was "an act of God" and not the result of a technical fault. He said the crane, like many others on the project, had been there for three or four years without any problem.

Muslim pilgrims walk around around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

US condolences

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his condolences and said the United States stood with Saudi Arabia and "all Muslims around the world in the aftermath of this dreadful incident at one of Islam's holiest sites." Several other world leaders have also offered condolences to Saudi officials. The incident occurred as Muslims gather from all over the world for the annual Hajj pilgrimage set to begin later this month in Mecca.

Grand Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The Grand Mosque is one of the sites that sees the largest gathering of pilgrims during Hajj. The mosque is among the largest in the world and is visited by millions of pilgrims and worshipers each year. Last year, the Saudi kingdom reduced the numbers of people permitted to perform Hajj for safety.

Hajj to Proceed Despite Mosque Tragedy