By Khalid Al-Sulaiman
THE holy sanctuary in Makkah isn't a place for worship and spirituality anymore for some visitors. They rather go around the place looking for the best spot and angle to snap selfies.
The Holy Kaaba has lost its true worth to such people in the age of Snapchat and Instagram. It got to the point that a Turkish TV journalist recently kneeled down on his knees and proposed to his lover in front of the Holy Kaaba, asking her to marry him in the Western style as we see it in the movies.
This was a silly and belittling act. Forget that this stupid act doesn›t represent the culture of Islamic communities whatsoever, but have we forgotten to respect the spirituality and sanctity of the Holy Kaaba?
I am not against anyone taking pictures in the two holy mosques in order to perpetuate their memory of a lifetime journey. I even criticized officials and scholars who did not allow taking pictures there in the past. But some people have crossed the limits by turning the spiritual experience into a picnic or a holiday trip, forgetting the sanctity of the place.
The people of Makkah sign their marriage contracts on the premises of the Grand Mosque because it is a traditional act that they have been following through the ages. They do it in a small ceremony and in full respect for the place, but what this Turkish TV journalist had done was nothing short of belittlement and disrespect. It was an act that lacked manners and modesty.
