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Originally Posted by photoLith
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Just fake it, thats what I would do if I ever go there. How in the world would they know if you were or werent?
On another note, this tower imo is so freakin gaudy and tacky. And I cant stand, even though Im not a Muslim, how much freaking history they are utterly destroying in Mecca with this tower and everything else they are doing to the historic core of the city. Saudi Arabia and Islam in general doesnt respect historic things. I think I remember reading that to preserve history would somehow be making it an idol or some crap. What a shame, oh well.
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I think you are missing the point here - Islam forbids idolatry of any form - you will be surprised that quite a few Muslims unfortunately fall into this trap despite attesting to strict monotheism. Some buildings or sites attract people to such practice as they don’t fully understand their religion. Non-Muslims may find this strange but it is important to understand the religion and cultural significance of this.
I do however see your point in that the Saudi authorities need to balance Islamic heritage sites that do not symbolise any form of idolatry and ensure that they blend 21st architecture with preserved history from the past.
I personally love to see the best designed buildings in the world in Mecca & Medina - not only to serve the purpose of the pilgrims who visit the sites but enhance the beauty of these two holiest cities to the rest of the world. With the number of pilgrims attending Mecca and Medina increasing year by year - this would be a fantastic opportunity for the Saudi authorities to really get the best architects to design the best buildings that complement the surrounding buildings and religious significance of the place.
I see some peoples arguments of the clock tower being out of place - it could have been better I must admit it, however I do think that the Clock tower will grow on people over time as the WTC did in the 1970’s.
Time will tell!