Nightclub forced to change its name from Mecca after threats from Muslim extremists

[mc_squared]

Nightclub forced to change its name from Mecca after threats from Muslim extremists

 

 

By Tom Worden

Last updated at 12:41 PM on 16th September 2010

 

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A popular Spanish nightclub has been forced to change its name from Mecca after sparking a furious reaction around the Islamic world.

Intelligence chiefs warned owners they were being targeted by extremists who claim the disco is insulting to their religion.

Hackers broke into the nightclub's website and posted a video threatening 'a great war between Spain and the people of Islam' if the venue did not change its name.

Outrage: The nightclub - La Meca (pictured here) - only reopened in June after closing for a decade

The controversy then spread around the Muslim world with media in the Middle East and north Africa picking up on the story.

Today the owners, said to include former Real Madrid goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, agreed to change the club's name after meeting with local Muslim leaders.

La Meca (Spanish for Mecca), was the most popular disco in the coastal city of Aguila, in Murcia, southeastern Spain, in the 1980s and 90s before it closed down a decade ago.

 

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It re-opened on June 18 with the same name, sparking the current controversy.

Last week Spain's intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Centre (CNI), alerted the owners to threats being made online.

Moderate Spanish Muslims also called for the name to be changed.

Mohamed Ali, head of the Spanish Federation of Islamic Religious Entities said: 'Muslims pray towards Mecca and it is there that the prophet received the holy Koran.

'Calling a place for dancing and drinking by that name shows disregard to the feelings of Muslims.'

Some Muslims have also objected to the design of the club, which is adorned with minarets in the style of a mosque.

Controversial: The Spanish nightclub has been warned its name - Mecca, which shares its name with the holy site in Saudi Arabia (pictured) - is seen as offensive by some Muslims

 

 

Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims made their way to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, last week to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan

 

The local Islamic Federation of the Region of Murcia consulted lawyers who planned to sue the club for insulting the honour of their religion.

 

This week Iranian station Radio Islam described the name as 'insulting' and Dubai-based Arabic news channel Al Arabiya, the second largest in the Arabic world, said it 'insulted Spanish Muslims'.

Facebook pages have been set up demanding the name is changed.

Abou Karim, writing on a Facebook site called 'Everyone against the nightclub called Mecca in Spain', said: 'They have declared war on Islam.'

The controversy even crossed the Atlantic to the U.S., where the website Infidels are Cool commented: 'So it's fine to build a mosque within a block of Ground Zero, where Muslims killed nearly 3,000 innocent people, but using the name of a city is a problem.'

Today the owners of the nightclub called a press conference to be held with local Muslim leaders in which they will confirm their plans to change the venue's name.

On its website the club is asking for suggestions for a new name.

The disco's logo, which includes Islamic symbols, and the minarets, will also be changed.

Spain has 1.5 million Muslims, making up just under three per cent of the population.

The country has long been a target for Al-Qaeda fanatics who demand the right to re-establish Muslim rule in southern Spain.

In March 2004 Islamist terrorists blew up four packed commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people and injuring 1,500 others.

 

The group which carried out the attack were said to be inspired by Osama Bin Laden's calls to revive Al-Andalus, as Spain's Muslim kingdom was known in the Middle Ages.

Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is the holiest meeting site in Islam.

Every year around 13 million Muslims make a pilgrimage to the city.

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1312539/Nightclub-forced-change-Mecca-threats-Muslim-extremists.html#ixzz0ziDT4yMH

[nancyk58]

Nightclub forced to change its name from Mecca after threats from Muslim extremists

 

Reading this headline I thought of an incident in Copenhagen on 7 June 2010 when the Danish very popular young singer MEDINA was met with eggs at a concert. Some young Muslim men threw eggs at her in protest against her sexy dance moves and her showing too much skin. It was also a protest against her artistic name "Medina", as Medina is the second holiest city in Islam being the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

 

Reading this article I wondered whether there were no protests in the 1980's when the site was the most popular disco - under the SAME name. Or maybe it closed due to protests?

[Cyan Kat]

There'll be after our Mecca Bingo :uhoh:

[mc_squared]

Nightclub forced to change its name from Mecca after threats from Muslim extremists

 

Reading this headline I thought of an incident in Copenhagen on 7 June 2010 when the Danish very popular young singer MEDINA was met with eggs at a concert. Some young Muslim men threw eggs at her in protest against her artistic name "Medina" as Medina also has importance to the Muslim World.

 

But reading the article I wondered how come that all the protests come NOW. As I understood it, the site existed before / was popular in the 1980's under the SAME name - without protests!?!?!

 

It's because there's obviously been a recent drive by the extremists to stir up trouble, that's why..................... :dozey:

[mc_squared]

There'll be after our Mecca Bingo :uhoh:

 

Do they still exist?:stunned:

[Darlene_Ihnfsa]

wow i didn't expect those 'local' news will cross the borders :stunned: mostly cause few media here told about it, until now that they decided to indeed change the name... (i don't know which one they will choose) it's been called like that for a good 20 years, don't it?

 

there was a tv report on tv today, all i knew is one of the owners is Valencia's ex-goalkeeper, Santi Cañizares.

 

Btw city name is Águilas (eagles).

 

curious thing is some media reported that people that now claim for a change on it, used to go there to have a drink. :thinking: (that source may is not so trustworthy).

[mc_squared]

wow i didn't expect those 'local' news will cross the borders :stunned: mostly cause few media here told about it, until now that they decided to indeed change the name... (i don't know which one they will choose) it's been called like that for a good 20 years, don't it?

 

there was a tv report on tv today, all i knew is one of the owners is Valencia's ex-goalkeeper, Santi Cañizares.

 

Btw city name is Águilas (eagles).

 

curious thing is some media reported that people that now claim for a change on it, used to go there to have a drink. :thinking: (that source may is not so trustworthy).

 

Changing the name is ridiculoús. :dozey:

[Darlene_Ihnfsa]

yes i know, the business had that name and that design for decades, i would complain if is a new business, but one old, it comes late and turns kinda pointless, imo.

not surprising seeing what things happen here in politics aswell, *coughpointlessstrickeattheendofmonthcough*

in fact is a characteristic when you drive near the area to see the building, as the pyramid that there's in another near city.

 

anyways i've never been in any of those nightclubs.

[Cyan Kat]

Do they still exist?:stunned:

 

I'm not sure there was one last time I Went to Scarborough like 2/3 years ago

[mc_squared]

I'm not sure there was one last time I Went to Scarborough like 2/3 years ago

 

In that case we'd better ask Simon, who's the board's Scarborough "expert".:P

[Black Rose]

Mecca Bingo still exists ;)

[mc_squared]

Mecca Bingo still exists ;)

 

Well maybe not for much longer if those idiot extremists get their way.:dozey:

[Darlene_Ihnfsa]

well back on topic.

report i saw was:

two experts (the representants of the institution that sued the nightclub) went to the nightclub and checked what was not good -one of them even took pictures-

their conclusion was:

building should remove the moon on the top, the moon and stars of the business logo, and the minaret aswell.

 

i don't see all the thing about it really, it feels as they claim a copyright or something :confused:

 

press didn't said, but this summer we were on the national news again as the Iman from my city, and so the one of the area, ( don't know if it includes Águilas), was very extremist, blaming people for their lifestyle (ok those were hookers and so), and so trying to cause trouble in some shops and business of the city centre with some protests and rude actions.

their mosque (althought they say is a socio-cultural association, and so say my city have no mosque) is in the city centre in a pretty degradated area, so some he complains about i can agree, but there are ways and ways to do it, though.

And i'm just saying what i've read and seen on the media.

 

there's a big controversy about those issues recently in the whole country after some cities want to ban some religious or cultural things.

[Darlene_Ihnfsa]

finally they will make the changes, they will be named now 'la isla' (the isle/island).

i bet the next protest will come from ecologist complaining if they use water in it ... :dozey:

who and why want to ruin that nightclub? :confused:

[mc_squared]

finally they will make the changes, they will be named now 'la isla' (the isle/island).

i bet the next protest will come from ecologist complaining if they use water in it ... :dozey:

who and why want to ruin that nightclub? :confused:

 

The PC brigade.:angry:

[Darlene_Ihnfsa]

PC brigade? :shrug:

[mc_squared]

PC brigade? :shrug:

 

PC = Political Correctness.;)