Why is the holiest site of Islam, Mecca, being compared, disparagingly to Las Vegas? Indeed, is Islam's holiest site fast becoming a spiritually fashioned Las Vegas, loosely speaking? It could be because 95% of Mecca's millennium-old buildings have beendemolished in the past two decades to make way for a new glitzy and commercial modern-day pilgrimage experience that is the Saudi Arabian Kingdom's pride and joy. And rightly so, for a destination flocked to by millions each year, set to require the infrastructure to support many more Muslims in the years ...

Zamzam -- the Muslim faith's miracle Mekka Valley holy water is the Islamic answer to the Jordan Valley's Blessed Babtism water. This 'Muslim' water has had a long and more recently checkered story. It is associated with a special thirst-quenching experience, said to satisfy hunger appetite as well as to cure illness. Though more recently people are alleging that it might cause harm to the human body. Regardless, the holy water's beneficient qualities are no secret. The emergence of the Zamzam water began the settlement of the Mekkan valley, where ...

Curious about the Hajj season and wondering what the whole journey to Hajj entails (not to mention attainment of a new status, becoming the esteemed title holder - 'Hajji'- or one who has completed the journey of a life time)? Albawaba offers an overview of what is involved in the process and ultimate journey of pilgramage to Mecca. Managing the flow of pilgrims to Mecca in the year 2011, will represent no small challenge to Saudi authorities. According to a recent statement by the National Committee for Hajj and Umrah ...

2 weeks on from the October 18th, 2011 execution of the Shalit-Deal, and some human stories of Palestinian prisoners off-set the tale of one Israeli soldier in captivity, and some background. Albawaba redresses the balance with some Palestinian names and stories behind the prisoner-swap Shalit-Deal. It has been nearly a couple of weeks since the historic deal between Hamas and Israel saw the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for 1,027 (technically 1,050 counting an earlier tranche release from the deal, see below) Palestinian political prisoners. Ashraf Ma'ahser -- ...

Free and new Libya last night ushered in a new era of post-Gaddafi political and social life. In a series of celebratory speeches in which new leaders declared liberation for Libya, any regret by Mustafa Abdul Jalil for the brutal death of their cruel lingering tyrant, was muted by jubiliation and optimism for a new Islamic path that included a lift on the polygamy ban and a return to Islamic banking. This departure from tyranny and corruption was prominent as the fresh-faced leaders emphasized the unity, humanity, and purity of ...

The death came faster than expected given such a long and laboured hold on power. During the revolution, Colonel Gaddafi, albeit delusional, was defiant as he clung to notions of his leadership for life and legitimacy as single heir to Libya. Since his ascension to rule 42 years ago, and especially as he hosted the Arab League at Sirte in 2010, neither the Colonel nor the nation, saw his end looming. Since Gaddafi's official ousting from power in August, 2011 and Gaddafi's underground retreat, no one anticipated just how soon ...

European 'indignance' with a touch of Arab flare has brewed and begun to boil over. Europe has stolen the thunder from the Arab spotlight. Protests are no longer the preserve of the Middle East. Not even Palestine going the UN-way, or not, or indeed Syria still unfurling could draw our attention away from European plazas, piazzas and squares in financial hubs last week. What can the Western World who have democracy and presumably wealth be possibly missing or wanting? It turns out the West feels disenfranchised too. Not from power ...

An introduction, or a reminder, of who's who in this year's winner line-up for the Nobel Prizes, 2011, across all categories. Regionally, the prize that created the biggest stir in the climate of Arab Spring and the fight for woman's rights was nabbed by Arabia's very own Chammpion of Peace, journalist Tawakkul Karmen, the Yemeni lady and mother no less. The chemistry category could have proved 'combustive' in its prized Israeli winner, given the Arab in the winners draw, but the spirit of the occasion, not to mention the Peace ...

October 6th, 2011 marks the passing of a 'Beautiful Mind', Steve Jobs; an astoundingly creative, evidently resilient and heroic man, the co-founder of Apple computers and former CEO. His innovative contributions brought the computer to the non-desk-top or un-trained masses alike, through hand-held phone devices and the introduction of the tablets. With the iPhone and its entourage of 'apps', he revolutionized the telephone. Jobs reminds us that there are still brilliant minds in the age of mainstream. He thought out of the box, out of IBM and he gave us ...