MSM Educates Us about Islam

It's Hajj season again, and a hotel collapse in Mecca has killed and injured dozens. But the AP informs us of much more:

Rescue teams pulled bodies from beneath the rubble of the five-story Al Ghaza Hotel. . . . The hotel, named for the district in which it is located, is about 60 yards from the Grand Mosque at the Bab al-Salam, or Gate of Peace. It is surrounded by local markets that stay open 24 hours during the pilgrimage, a major source of income in the holy city.

The courtyard of the Grand Mosque encloses the Kaaba, a large stone structure that Muslims face during their five daily prayers.

The Prophet Mohammed was born in Mecca, where the Grand Mosque is central to the Muslim faith and the hajj. Daily prayers also are conducted in the mosque's marble-paved yard, which can hold thousands of people.

Islam's five pillars require followers to profess there is one God and Mohammed is His prophet, pray five times daily, give alms, fast daily during the holy month of Ramadan and — if financially able — travel to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

The number of pilgrims to Mecca has increased elevenfold over the past 15 years.

They neglect to mention that the fragment of meteorite inside the Kaaba is what makes it holy. The shiny black rock was an object of worship by pre-Islamic pagans, a ritual Muhammad found expeditious to retain.

Further, while the article goes on to mention the yearly stampedes, it leaves out their main cause: pilgrims must walk around the Kaaba four times rapidly, then three times slowly, which can understandably get a little chaotic when zillions of people are trying to do it at the same time. This ritual is also a pagan leftover, representing the solar orbits of the seven planets (known at that time).

I've got nothing against pagans -- just to stress that AP is preaching here, not reporting. Anyway, if you've had enough pious, triumphalist evangelism, have a look at the transcript from the TV clip above.