Apple Computer Building Offends Muslims

[SteveGrenard]

The new Apple store apparently resembles a similar structure in Mecca known as the Ka'ba. Now Muslims want a lock on cube designs. What's next?




October 11, 2006
Report: Islamic site finds Apple store offensive

A Middle East research organization reports that Apple's flagship retail store on 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan (between 58th and 59th) is offensive to Muslims. The report cites an Islamic Web site urging Muslims to spread the word in hope that "Muslims will be able to stop the project."

The report by The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a 501 (c)3 organization based in Washington, D.C., states that some Islamic Web sites take exception to Apple's cube-shaped building design (pictured above) and that it "constitutes a blatant insult to Islam."

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/index.php?p=305



The reason? Because the building resembles the Ka'ba in Mecca (pictured below), is called "Apple Mecca," (by whom?), is open 24 hours a day like the Ka'ba, and "contains bars selling alcoholic beverages."

[Foolmewunz]

As usual, your link leads to another link.
Do you know who MEMRI are?:spjimlad: :spjimlad: :spjimlad:

[The Atheist]

The new Apple store apparently resembles a similar structure in Mecca known as the Ka'ba. Now Muslims want a lock on cube designs. What's next?(Bolding mine)

I know, Steve; THIS!!

Muslims offended by Westerners use of onions!

Muslims claim this holy design as a cultural treasure of Islam:
http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1037745319c8b7920d.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2009)

Infidels who abuse the design in praise of Allah by eating vegetables shaped like a minaret will be beheaded in Teheran:
http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/1037745319c8b76b02.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2008)

Mullah Abba bin Arna said here [link to absurd blogsite to create image of respectability] that while eating onions by devout Muslims was perfectly acceptable, Westerners and other infidel who partake of the holy vegetable are an affront to Allah and shall be senetenced to death.

[SteveGrenard]

As usual, your link leads to another link.
Do you know who MEMRI are?:spjimlad: :spjimlad: :spjimlad:

Sorry I got it from zdnet, a well known computer biz site. Here is the MEMRI blurb:

http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP131506

with a much better picture of the bldg.

[Foolmewunz]

Sorry I got it from zdnet, a well known computer biz site. Here is the MEMRI blurb:

http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP131506

with a much better picture of the bldg.

Look into MEMRI. It's what a number of us are repeatedly pointing out. Here's an organization that mines for articles that will depict only the most ignorant, hateful, anti-western sentiments, and then disseminates them through emails and blogs.

Who founded MEMRI? What should that tell you?

[Zep]

Get a grip, Steve. ANY modern building of that shape matches the Ka'aba, and there are literally thousands of such building all around the world. And I don't think there have been a whole lot of protests from many Muslims. Unless they are as eager to make a stink out of nothing like you are...

[SteveGrenard]

anti-western sentiments, and then disseminates them through emails and blogs.

Their "anti-western sentiment" in this case is an "anti-eastern sentiment" because it demonstrates how intolerant and ignorant muslims are, now even re: the shape of buildings in NYC. This stupid story is just another symptom of the muslim world trying to flex its muscles and intrude on the internal affairs of sovereign nations not under their control. So what's next? Boycott the company, hold cartoon type protests 'till the streets of Manhattan run apple red with the blood of all Apple users? They can use the backside of their death to the pope signage. Or maybe they will just boycott apples.

If there is any truth to this story you know where they can go.

[SteveGrenard]

Get a grip, Steve. ANY modern building of that shape matches the Ka'aba, and there are literally thousands of such building all around the world. And I don't think there have been a whole lot of protests from many Muslims. Unless they are as eager to make a stink out of nothing like you are...

Now I am making the stink? Get your attributions straight. I am not MEMRI. Or have you signed up as a shoot the messenger type as well? The problem with all the politically correct types out there is that one day you will wake up in a muslim country that has been shariaized and you won't know how you got there. Ask some non-Muslims in Nigeria.

[Foolmewunz]

Their "anti-western sentiment" in this case is an "anti-eastern sentiment" because it demonstrates how intolerant and ignorant muslims are, now even re: the shape of buildings in NYC. This stupid story is just another symptom of the muslim world trying to flex its muscles and intrude on the internal affairs of sovereign nations not under their control. So what's next? Boycott the company, hold cartoon type protests 'till the streets of Manhattan run apple red with the blood of all Apple users? They can use the backside of their death to the pope signage. Or maybe they will just boycott apples.

If there is any truth to this story you know where they can go.

No, Steve! This is an example of an organization that mines for any inflammatory statements it can find so that they can bring Islamist hatred and ignorance to the attention of blog-readers (first) and news-readers (if they are successful). MEMRI is notorious for this. They've been known to pick out the op-ed piece in a Middle Eastern paper that suits their needs, but to ignore the piece right next to it that supports cogent thought, moderation, and non-extremist views. MEMRI's on a mission.

The "stupid story", once again, is you relying on these obscure issues that should die a dog's death, and advancing them a few more days in the public discourse. Note to MEMRI: Mission (Part I) Accomplished!

Mission (Part II): Get enough bloggers to rant about the evil Muslims objecting to a building and send those articles to the Middle East and see if you can escalate it to protests of people burning Steve Jobs in effigy.

[SteveGrenard]

If they picked this story out of a muslim website or blog, and pulicized it here, meaning the U.S.,they are indeed publicizing the extreme intolerance of islam. For me then its a point of view, and for you it is denial of the the intolerance and ignorance of this "latest" offense. You can go on and on, citing the Danish cartoons, the new Danish cartoons, the Pope, Jack Straw and whatever/whoever else "offended" these people. Why stop at Jobs, why not jihad against all Apple users?

So while Christians cannot wear crosses the sign of a 5 pence coin working the counters at British Airways, those who would wear hijabs are allowed to do so. So who runs BA anyway? Pakistan? And I wonder which muslim workers were offended by the crosses worn by their co-workers.

Here are some more stories, same source, including criticism of MEMRI for doing what you suggest. Frankly if there is any truth to this inane criticism by muslims about this building I am glad they did it:

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35018


http://www.nypost.com/seven/10142006/news/regionalnews/qaeda_cube_boobs_mecca_big_stink_regionalnews_patr ick_white.htm


http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=193300063&subSection=Macintosh+Platform

[BobK]

Their next target will probably be Rubik's Cube.

[Foolmewunz]

If they picked this story out of a muslim website or blog, and pulicizes it here, meaning the U.S.,they are indeed publicizing the extreme intolerance of islam. For me then its a point of view, and for you it is denial of the the intolerance and ignorance of this "latest" offense. You can go on and on, citing the Danish cartoons, the new Danish cartoons, the Pope, and whatever else "offended" these people. Why stop at Jobs, why not jihad against all Apple users?

So while Christians cannot wear crosses the sign of a 5 pence coin working the counters at British Airways, those who would wear hijabs are allowed to do so. So who runs BA anyway? Pakistan? And I wonder which muslim workers were offended by the crosses worn by their co-workers.

Stay on topic, please. I'm old and addled and can't leap-frog across the Cartus Illogicus as well as I used to. Before we get into beheadings and rich people owning guard dogs, let's get back to MEMRI.

You, as usual, link a seemingly legitimate story (with a direct link embedded to MEMRI) that leads back to an organization with a known bias. MEMRI is a disinformation service. They are better funded than you, so better at it than you. Their avowed mission is to pick out the extreme statements and spread them. They pretend to have an interest in also promoting moderate viewpoints, but that's sort of The Spook Who Sat By the Door, IMHO. They want to incite rancor and anti-Islamist sentiment.

You agree with them. That is your prerogative. It's my prerogative to point out to innocent bystanders that your Andy Rooney bit (Didja ever wonder why Islamists hate life as we know it?) is never as innocent as your initial post in a thread, and that within two to four posts, minimum, you'll be on your Islamists Are Evil soap box. Oh, sometimes you moderate it by adding "extremist" as a modifier, but not before you've broad-brushed an entire faith (not a race, as we agree... a "faith").

BTW, MEMRI are not necessarily faith-biased. Their agenda is simply political, and the anti-Islamist sentiments merely play into that hand.

[SteveGrenard]

Their next target will probably be Rubik's Cube.

Probably. And Information Week also reported:

Muslim groups have criticized MEMRI for seeking and disseminating the most extreme statements from the Muslim world.

For me this translates into trying to suppress Muslim extremist views so that non-muslims remain ignorant of them.

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

The problem with all the politically correct types out there is that one day you will wake up in a muslim country that has been shariaized and you won't know how you got there. According to the Statistical Abstract of the US (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/population/religion/), in 2001 there were 207,980,000 Christians (all denominations) in the US, and only 1,104,000 Muslims. Athiest/Agnostic/Secular totaled 1,995,000. Get a grip.

[The Atheist]

For me this translates into trying to suppress Muslim extremist views so that non-muslims remain ignorant of them.
:dl:
Mate, that's priceless! To any halfway sane human, that would translate into not wanting to have the most insane ideas promulgated. Much in the way that the US Government would like people not to get their information about American attitudes to other races from the KKK. Do you have bad dreams about the bad Mullahs, Steve? Wake in a cold sweat having just escaped the clutches of the Saudi religious police?

<<wipes tears of laughter and moves slowly away, still chuckling>>

[webfusion]

again, The Atheist with his laughing dog.

Let's watch this story, and see where it leads, OK?
It is not completely "insane" to believe that Apple is about to face some serious problems from radical islamists who are always looking for new ways to promulgate their ideology, in violent fashion.

[Zep]

Now I am making the stink? Get your attributions straight. I am not MEMRI. Or have you signed up as a shoot the messenger type as well? The problem with all the politically correct types out there is that one day you will wake up in a muslim country that has been shariaized and you won't know how you got there. Ask some non-Muslims in Nigeria.Sadly, I'm not a "politically correct type", as you so quaintly put it. So you obviously aren't addressing your remarks to me.

And Nigeria as an example of a modern progressive country "overtaken" somehow by Muslims?! Goodness me! Are you serious?

And you seriously do think that no-one would notice a sudden influx of Shari'a based laws in any western country? Do you think that they can be simply dropped there completely unnoticed by, oh...parliament, for example? And that the police force will suddenly acquire machetes overnight and go about chopping hands of adulterers?

Weird, Steve. I don't know how your mind works...

[The Atheist]

again, The Atheist with his laughing dog.

Let's watch this story, and see where it leads, OK?
It is not completely "insane" to believe that Apple is about to face some serious problems from radical islamists who are always looking for new ways to promulgate their ideology, in violent fashion.You're a funny wee bloke! You going to follow me around and pick on every post? You'll have to try bloody hard, that's for sure.

Yes, it's possible Islam might attack Apple because of their building.

It's also possible that Rubik's Cube offends them.

It's also possible that onions will cause the start of WWIII between the West and Islam.

It's also possible that SteveGrenard will stop being a paranoid racist and seeing Islamist terrorists under every bed.

No, actually, you can strike that last one out, that will never happen....

[Foolmewunz]

Jeez, I gotta get a bigger screen than this laptop. I just spent twenty minutes googling on "The Atheist and His Laughing Dog", thinking it was a neo-post-constructivist rock band. (It'd be a good name, you have to admit.)

Anyhow, so where were we?

Oh, yes. Steve was going to show us some more dubious links to show that there is a MWO (Muslim World Order) out there, sneaking hated Islamist law into the Constitution.

BTW, was there some reference to Islamist sensitivities in the "BA bans crucifixes" article? Or was this another GLOF (Grenier Leap of Faith).

Claus(I know you'll be here sooner or later), can I copyright that.... A new skeptiterm......
GLOF - V, intr. the act of reading an article on (say) lower sales on lemon meringue pies during Channukah, and linking to an article in the Speedbump, Arizona Daily Clarion, about the number of lemons grown in Israel, and then sub-linking to an article in Skinheads Are KKKool about evil Joos.

:spjimlad: :spjimlad: :spjimlad:

ETA: MEMRI, Steve. Have you looked them up to see the company you're keeping?

[gtc]

No, Steve! This is an example of an organization that mines for any inflammatory statements it can find so that they can bring Islamist hatred and ignorance to the attention of blog-readers (first) and news-readers (if they are successful). MEMRI is notorious for this. They've been known to pick out the op-ed piece in a Middle Eastern paper that suits their needs, but to ignore the piece right next to it that supports cogent thought, moderation, and non-extremist views. MEMRI's on a mission.

The "stupid story", once again, is you relying on these obscure issues that should die a dog's death, and advancing them a few more days in the public discourse. Note to MEMRI: Mission (Part I) Accomplished!

Mission (Part II): Get enough bloggers to rant about the evil Muslims objecting to a building and send those articles to the Middle East and see if you can escalate it to protests of people burning Steve Jobs in effigy.

Any call for violence against the West is wrong.

Any call for violence against Jews is wrong.

It doesn't matter if there is an article next to it which calls for dialogue with the West or dialogue with the Jews.

[TragicMonkey]

I always wonder about the one-issue people on this board. I'm sure we can all think of several examples. They're the posters who have exactly one topic, about which they are exceedingly agitated. There's an old-fashioned term for that sort of thing: monomania.

[Foolmewunz]

Any call for violence against the West is wrong.

Any call for violence against Jews is wrong.

It doesn't matter if there is an article next to it which calls for dialogue with the West or dialogue with the Jews.

Why just 'the west' and 'Jews'? Would you also agree that any call for violence against 'the east' or 'Muslims' is also wrong?

[The Atheist]

Why just 'the west' and 'Jews'? Would you also agree that any call for violence against 'the east' or 'Muslims' is also wrong?My tuppence worth there is that calls for violence against any group is wrong.

You summed the trouble up nicely, Steve is just the Western version of those Islamic nutters he keeps finding. Steve, are you old enough to be Joe McCarthy reincarnated?

I'll will stand in favour of monomania, though. Better that than the guys who believe everything - I commented on one today who was 9/11, JFK, Bigfoot, Elvis, the works - you describe it, he'll believe it.

[a_unique_person]

No, Steve! This is an example of an organization that mines for any inflammatory statements it can find so that they can bring Islamist hatred and ignorance to the attention of blog-readers (first) and news-readers (if they are successful). MEMRI is notorious for this. They've been known to pick out the op-ed piece in a Middle Eastern paper that suits their needs, but to ignore the piece right next to it that supports cogent thought, moderation, and non-extremist views. MEMRI's on a mission.

The "stupid story", once again, is you relying on these obscure issues that should die a dog's death, and advancing them a few more days in the public discourse. Note to MEMRI: Mission (Part I) Accomplished!

Mission (Part II): Get enough bloggers to rant about the evil Muslims objecting to a building and send those articles to the Middle East and see if you can escalate it to protests of people burning Steve Jobs in effigy.

MEMRI and LGF. Working hard to stir up division and hatred. They are no better than Jewatch and other hate sites.

[Skeptic]

Here's an organization that mines for articles that will depict only the most ignorant, hateful, anti-western sentiments,

It doesn't have to do much "mining". Merely opening the daily paper in, say, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia or the Palestinian Authority is enough. What it does have to do "mining" for is for moderate Arab or Muslim voices. And, in my experience, it--if anything--overrepresents them.

A few months ago, for example, there was an interview on CNN with a brave Arab Muslim woman who was very clear in her anti-Islamist stance. Despite the fact that this woman, unfortunately, is very much NOT representative of the Arab and Muslim world's general views, the video was featured quited prominently on MEMRI, IIRC. And this is by no means an isolated example of MEMRI featuring moderate or otherwise non-extremist Arab and Muslim opinion, as I can tell from experience.

MEMRI's only real "crime" is that its conclusions about the state of things in the Arab and Muslim world does not fit with the multiculturalist homilities (multiculturalists believe, as we all know, that all cultures are equal, but on the other hand there's only one acceptable opinion.) For this reason it is, of course, called "racist" and "biased"--which my muticulralism-to-English dictionary defines as "I disagree with them".

Once the latter is established, which is easy enough, there's no need for actually showing any evidence that MEMRI (or anybody) is really "quote mining", or looks only for those quotes which "depcit only the most ignorant, hateful, anti-western sentiments" (patently untrue, in MEMRI's case). This just has to be so--otherwise, how could they possibly have reached a conclusion that differs than the multiculturalists' conclusion?

Hell hath no fury like a multiculturalist contradicted.

[CFLarsen]

Claus(I know you'll be here sooner or later), can I copyright that.... A new skeptiterm......
GLOF - V, intr. the act of reading an article on (say) lower sales on lemon meringue pies during Channukah, and linking to an article in the Speedbump, Arizona Daily Clarion, about the number of lemons grown in Israel, and then sub-linking to an article in Skinheads Are KKKool about evil Joos.

:spjimlad: :spjimlad: :spjimlad:

Go right ahead.

[CFLarsen]

Steve finds an opinion from a blogger and inflates that to include all Muslims.

So, what's new?

[Skeptic]

MEMRI and LGF. Working hard to stir up division and hatred. They are no better than Jewatch and other hate sites.

Well, there's a slight difference. jew-watch says, "So-and-so is a jew, he should be killed." MEMRI says, "The Imam in the largest mosque in Saudi Arabia had once more called for killing the jews." In the first case, there's no much the jew can do about it; in the second case, the Imam could sabotage MEMRI's evil plans to "stir up division and hatered" by not calling for a genocide of the jews.

To say they both those who call for genocide and those who point out their call for genocide are morally equivalent--because in both cases the result is "stirring up hatered"--is moral imbecility. It's like saying that Goebbles and Schirer, the well-known anti-Nazi CBS reporter in Berlin during the 30s and 40s, are morally equivalent: Goebbles "stirred up hatered" against the jews by inventing blood libels, Schirer "stirred up hatered" against the Nazis by documenting their actual beliefs and actions, so what's the difference? Both "stirred up hatered", so both are the same.

I'm sure I don't have to point the fallacy in this reasoning, do I?

[gtc]

Why just 'the west' and 'Jews'? Would you also agree that any call for violence against 'the east' or 'Muslims' is also wrong?


Of course.

My comments were purely in relation to you calling Memri disinformation because it only reports the hate speech from the Arab/Muslim media. That is not all it reports, of course, but it is what gets noted publically.

What you would do if, in this post, I argued that you kill my people's children to drink their blood and that you and your children should be killed and then in another post agree with you on some other issue?

Would you report this post to the mods or would you conclude that to do so would be biased?

In the same way, accusing Memri of being biased does not solve the problem that there is enormous amounts of hate speech in mainstream arab/muslim media.

My assertion is that unless you understand why someone hates you, you can't address that hatred. All you can do is destroy them, ignore them or submit to them.

By the way, have you read the article I linked to. LGF suggests that this is the ultimate source of the story. If so, it all seems to be based on a tasteless joke.

[Foolmewunz]

GTC - I'm not accusing them of being biased, as in "faith-biased", but I am stating that they have a pretty distinctive political history. Would it be in the interests of a whole bunch of former IDF and Israeli Intelligence advisers to turn more people to their view? Of course it would. Further, I'm not even questioning that right. Governments and NGO everywhere put spin on issues that they think are important.

**BTW - did you post a link to LGF? Is this another upgrade glitch? I didn't see one. But, yes, this seems to be another Blog-Spot cooked and overcooked issue.

Skeptic - I do understand that they have every right to point out silliness, nastiness, anti-anythingism....., and I support their right to do so. Just as if the US press was saying nasty things about China, and the People's Daily decided to spread the word. Everyone has every right (need) to know who their friends and enemies are. I just would like that Steve not post this irrelevant crap on what is a serious topic.

I detest any sort of "ist" that advocates killing others or overthrowing governments by violence. I may not agree with armchair Marxists and will argue 'til I'm blue in the face, but I absolutely detest the Maoist revolutionary faction that purports to support the same political end-goal ideology.

So, that's my statement, and I've made it before. If Steve wants to start a thread stating "All Muslims Are Evil", he should do so. Or go start a forum. I just don't think every Muslim in the world is evil and every silly (and I emphasize SILLY - this is another of many that Steve's trotted out) story has to be yet another proof of their evil intent. And in this case, MEMRI is really just sparking the flames, admittedly for reasons they believe in, but it still amounts to trivial incendiary behavior, IMHO.

.

[geni]

Get a grip, Steve. ANY modern building of that shape matches the Ka'aba, and there are literally thousands of such building all around the world. And I don't think there have been a whole lot of protests from many Muslims. Unless they are as eager to make a stink out of nothing like you are...

It is likely the use of the name "mecca" that is being objected to. That is why the official english name of the city is now Makkah.

[Dave1001]

You and this other guy (I think Skeptic?) are pretty much spamming the message board with these articles. We can all read these off the top page of drudgereport if we want to.

[Foolmewunz]

It is likely the use of the name "mecca" that is being objected to. That is why the official english name of the city is now Makkah.

It's not being called "Mecca" by anyone at Apple. Some techie used the term about 6/8 months ago, I think. But I doubt that he/she even cared about the religious or political repercussions. Many English-speakers have used the term mecca for "hot spot", for years (as in a "mecca for tourists"). Someone picked up on it, passed it to someone else who passed to someone else and now it's proof that America and Apple don't respect Islam and equally proof that the evil Islamists are out destroy our very fiber of life.

If that sounds convoluted, good! That's life in these times.

[a_unique_person]

Well, there's a slight difference. jew-watch says, "So-and-so is a jew, he should be killed." MEMRI says, "The Imam in the largest mosque in Saudi Arabia had once more called for killing the jews." In the first case, there's no much the jew can do about it; in the second case, the Imam could sabotage MEMRI's evil plans to "stir up division and hatered" by not calling for a genocide of the jews.

To say they both those who call for genocide and those who point out their call for genocide are morally equivalent--because in both cases the result is "stirring up hatered"--is moral imbecility. It's like saying that Goebbles and Schirer, the well-known anti-Nazi CBS reporter in Berlin during the 30s and 40s, are morally equivalent: Goebbles "stirred up hatered" against the jews by inventing blood libels, Schirer "stirred up hatered" against the Nazis by documenting their actual beliefs and actions, so what's the difference? Both "stirred up hatered", so both are the same.

I'm sure I don't have to point the fallacy in this reasoning, do I?

Do you read the posts on LGF? The sentiments would be indistinguishable from thost on Stormfront, if you did not know who they were directed at.

[geni]

It's not being called "Mecca" by anyone at Apple. Some techie used the term about 6/8 months ago, I think. But I doubt that he/she even cared about the religious or political repercussions. Many English-speakers have used the term mecca for "hot spot", for years (as in a "mecca for tourists").

I think everyone uses or at least understands the term used like that.

[CFLarsen]

I think everyone uses or at least understands the term used like that.

We do in Danish. No Muslim has complained.

[HarryKeogh]

BTW, that Apple store is gorgeous. Been there a few times and it's the coolest. And it's a store where the staff actually knows the products. Imagine that!

and perhaps some Muslims did take offense when they thought it was going to be a black cube (how it looked during construction http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD131506 ). Do they still feel this way now that it was revealed to be a clear glass cube? Somehow I'm thinking not.

[brodski]

I think everyone uses or at least understands the term used like that.

Which is probably why the UK hasn't had a wave of protests against Bingo Halls. (http://www.meccabingo.com/)

[ImaginalDisc]

I always wonder about the one-issue people on this board. I'm sure we can all think of several examples. They're the posters who have exactly one topic, about which they are exceedingly agitated. There's an old-fashioned term for that sort of thing: monomania.

Ahem.

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/issues.htm

[SteveGrenard]

Which is probably why the UK hasn't had a wave of protests against Bingo Halls. (http://www.meccabingo.com/)

Not a wave of protests but .......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/47352.stm

And some more here:

http://www.albalagh.net/food_for_thought/Makkah.shtml

[brodski]

Not a wave of protests but .......


One protest, 8 years old, and yet the brand is still going strong, even in areas with large Muslim populations.

[SteveGrenard]

One protest, 8 years old, and yet the brand is still going strong, even in areas with large Muslim populations.

That's because they changed to its correct name. Some offendie woke up and realized they were spelling the city's name wrong for who knows how long. It is still spelled wrong on most maps, in books, websites and in press reports.

[CFLarsen]

Steve, here is a thread where you can vent your anger about Muslims. (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=66100)

[brodski]

That's because they changed to its correct name.
8 years later.

[SteveGrenard]

8 years later.

Not quite. Try about 7+ years ago, not 8 years later ... or about around the same time the row over the use of the name Mecca for bingo halls surfaced.

Evidence:


PUBLISHED BY: Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)

vol. 3 No. 10: Muharram 1420 - May 1999

MAKKAH - NOT "MECCA"

It is increasingly being observed with a degree of concern that all kinds of businesses are (mis-)using the name "Mecca". "Motor-Mecca", "The Mecca Group", etc.

It should be respectfully pointed out to such persons that the use of the word "Mecca" to name their businesses is regarded as offensive to Muslims. A billion and a half Muslims, the world over, hold this holy city in the highest regard and veneration. To desecrate the name of this holy city by abusing it in this fashion is not acceptable.

Protests

On an international level, Muslims are offended by this practice. Recently, The British Rank Corporation which owns a chain of gambling and entertainment shops under the name of "Mecca", removed the name from its shop fronts as a result of protests from British Muslims. Muslims of Luton in the UK had protested against the defamatory use of the name of this holy city.

It must be noted, that Saudi Arabia had officially changed the spelling of the name of this city to "Makkah" a few years ago due to the derogatory usage of the word by the Western media and Western authors.

In most cases it is done out of ignorance, not deliberately. If pointed out politely but firmly, most companies respond favourably by changing the name.

Muslims should also be encouraged to adopt the proper spelling of Makkah, rather than the old, incorrect "mecca" version. Madinah should rather be spelt as Madinah rather than being spelt as "medina". Principals and educators of educational institutions such as Madrasahs, Islamic Schools, academies, Muslim writers, authors, researchers, scholars are to be encouraged to use the correct spelling.

Muslims have a duty to be vigilant and decisive in acting against anything that may be deemed sacrilegious, blasphemous or disrespectful to Islam or Muslims all over the world. Every town, city, province, country should have a dedicated and committed group of people to fulfil this important "watch-dog" role for the sake of the Ummah and Islam.

Mufti Zubair Bayat

AL-JAMIAT VOL3 NO.10

[al-jamiat/_private/jam_navbar.html]
last modified:99/04/23





By Abu Atiyyah, South Africa
The holiest city for the Muslims is Makkah-tul-Mukarramah. It is not "Mecca". Saudi Arabia had officially changed the spelling of the name of this city to "Makkah" a few years ago after realizing the derogatory usage of the word by the Western media and Western authors. And that is the way it should be. We do not like it if our own name is misspelled or mispronounced. How can we then allow it when the same is done to any of our most important icons?
Unfortunately many people, even some Muslims are still careless about it. It is increasingly being observed with a degree of concern that all kinds of businesses are (mis-)using the name "Mecca". "Motor-Mecca", "The Mecca Group", etc. It should be respectfully pointed out to such persons that the usage of the word "Mecca" to name their businesses is offensive. A billion and a half Muslims the world over, hold this holy city in the highest regard and veneration. To desecrate the name of this holy city by abusing it in this fashion is not acceptable.
Recently, The British Rank Corporation, which owns a chain of gambling and entertainment shops under the name of "Mecca", removed the name from its shop fronts as a result of protests from British Muslims. Muslims of Luton in the UK had protested against the defamatory use of the name of this holy city.
In most cases it is done out of ignorance, not deliberately. If pointed out politely but firmly, most companies respond favorably by changing the name.
Muslims should also be encouraged to adopt the proper spelling of Makkah, rather than the old, incorrect "mecca" version. Madinah should rather be spelled as Madinah than being spelled as "medina". Principals and educators of educational institutions such as Madrasahs, Islamic Schools, academies, Muslim writers, authors, researchers, scholars are to be encouraged to use the correct spelling.
Muslims have a duty to be vigilant and decisive in acting against anything that may be deemed sacrilegious, blasphemous or disrespectful to Islam or Muslims, all over the world. Every town, city, province, country should have a dedicated and committed group of people to fulfil this important "watch-dog" role for the sake of the Ummah and Islam.

http://www.albalagh.net/food_for_thought/Makkah.shtml

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[Skeptic]

Do you read the posts on LGF?

So you admit MEMRI is different?

[SteveGrenard]

So you admit MEMRI is different?

So do you admit that the Mufti Zubair Bayat and Abu Atyyah are trying to stir up anti-muslim sentiment by telling all muslims to publicly display and register their displeasure and offense on the use of the name Mecca?

[Cleon]

Jesus tapdancing Christ...Now changing from "Mecca" to "Makkah" is more "evidence" of some New Muslim World Order. This is really, really, really stupid, even for you, Steve.

I wonder what horrifying threat we can find in India's change in the English spelling from "Bombay" to "Mumbai."

[Darth Rotor]

Jesus tapdancing Christ...Now changing from "Mecca" to "Makkah" is more "evidence" of some New Muslim World Order. This is really, really, really stupid, even for you, Steve.

I wonder what horrifying threat we can find in India's change in the English spelling from "Bombay" to "Mumbai."

Creeping Sandskritism? :confused:

DR

[gtc]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=3&entry_id=4203

This was the article, I think I must have tried to add the link during a maintenance shutdown. LGF suggests that this is the first appearance of the story.

If so, it seems that the story started when a blogger noticed that the new Apple centre was a cube covered in black hoardings and decided to make some joke about it being a 'mecca' for apple enthusiasts.

The comments show that the joke got out of hand pretty damn quick.

To me it seems that

a) Apple didn't intend to insult Islam.
b) Muslims weren't insulted until this blog was posted.
c) The blogger is a liberal who didn't intend to insult Islam or suggest that Apple was insulting Islam.
d) However, his joke was still highly insensitive.

As such, it is a storm in a tea cup. Although it does again show that some people in the Islamic community do react innapropriately to anything that they construe as an insult to Islam.

[jerwin]

The Ka'aba isn't a cube. It's 15m high, and it's sides are 10.5m and 12m.

I'm not sure that the BJP's motives for renaming Bombay are entirely benign

[snooziums]

So much confusion...

However, I would rather visit the Apple "cube" store than the Makkah. (note: "makkah" is not in my spell check). Why settle for a religion, with all of its rules, when you can "worship" the best computers ever made?

I do not like religions, like Christianity and Islam, however, I love Apple Computers, and have used them for over 10 years now.

So, instead of focusing on the negative harshness of some religion's reaction, why not instead focus on the goodness of Apple's products?

Just thought I would help.

[gtc]

So much confusion...

However, I would rather visit the Apple "cube" store than the Makkah. (note: "makkah" is not in my spell check). Why settle for a religion, with all of its rules, when you can "worship" the best computers ever made?

I do not like religions, like Christianity and Islam, however, I love Apple Computers, and have used them for over 10 years now.

So, instead of focusing on the negative harshness of some religion's reaction, why not instead focus on the goodness of Apple's products?

Just thought I would help.

This reminds me of a Dilbert comic strip!

http://www.mevis.de/~meyer/MISC/dilbert/ComputerHolyWars.html

[SteveGrenard]

The Ka'aba isn't a cube. It's 15m high, and it's sides are 10.5m and 12m.

That makes it okay then. Quick, go tell the Muslims they have one less thing to be offended about.

[Beerina]

It's not being called "Mecca" by anyone at Apple. Some techie used the term about 6/8 months ago, I think. But I doubt that he/she even cared about the religious or political repercussions. Many English-speakers have used the term mecca for "hot spot", for years (as in a "mecca for tourists"). Someone picked up on it, passed it to someone else who passed to someone else and now it's proof that America and Apple don't respect Islam and equally proof that the evil Islamists are out destroy our very fiber of life.

If that sounds convoluted, good! That's life in these times.

My anthropology prof at U-Mich got his big claim to fame by observing that the American's trip to Disney World in Florida was akin to a Muslim's trip to Mecca. The rich and the poor all board the same monorail together to enjoy the same experience, blah blah blah.

That was over 20 years ago (well, when I had heard of it anyway). I wonder if anyone would dare release such a paper today. How offensive! Like a trip to Disney world, sheesh! :jaw-dropp

[brodski]

My anthropology prof at U-Mich got his big claim to fame by observing that the American's trip to Disney World in Florida was akin to a Muslim's trip to Mecca. The rich and the poor all board the same monorail together to enjoy the same experience, blah blah blah.

That was over 20 years ago (well, when I had heard of it anyway). I wonder if anyone would dare release such a paper today. How offensive! Like a trip to Disney world, sheesh! :jaw-dropp

yeah, Disney's lawyers would be down on him like a tonne of bricks! ;)