Local media reports that another bomb attack targeted a Mosque in Saudi Arabia. This time, an unknown young man, estimated to be around 18 years old, approached the Muslims at the Prophet’s Mosque while they were breaking the Ramadan fast with the excuse of giving them some food.
However, when the man got close enough and detonated his explosives. Pictures uploaded to social media show a car in flames sitting close to the Mosque and two officers lying on the ground nearby. Since the events are very recent, there is no official information about the number of victims. Local press said there were at least two unidentified casualties, though.
Another explosion was registered almost simultaneously in the city of Qatif. Sitting on the Gulf coast, the city gets flooded with Muslim pilgrims at this time of the year because it has a port and an airport which people use to get to the holy places.
According to the witnesses, a man approached a Shia Mosque and blew himself up just outside the building. Apparently, the only fatal victim was the attacker himself who died in a very gruesome and graphic way. Witnesses said there were body parts scattered around the blast mark.
The new ways might be causing the wrath of traditionalists
This would be the third suicide bomb attack in the last couple of days. A similar event occurred in Jeddah near the United States consulate which happens to be close to a mosque. It is important to understand that this is an important time in the year for all Muslims around the world, and the sites where the attacks have been reported are supposed to be crowded.
People that follow the Islam celebrate the Ramadan the ninth month of the year, every year. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad received the first Quran revelations around that time of the year, so they celebrate the event by fasting which is not eating during daylight hours. Their exceptions, though, include pregnant women, the elderly, breastfeeding women and menstruating females which are exempt from this otherwise mandatory rule.
Besides Qatif, Jeddah and Medina are among the holiest places for Islamic believers. The first are known as the Gate of Mecca, and the second was the first place where Muslims gathered to pray. But according to the sacred scriptures, Muhammad received a direct command from the sky telling him that Mecca should be the new praying location.
Moreover, the revered prophet is supposed to be buried in the city which makes it the second holiest place in the Muslim religion after Mecca. In fact, most of the city’s core is forbidden for the non-Muslim.
Since all the famous terrorist groups also call themselves Jihadists which is a very religious term, it could be difficult to understand why they are attacking pilgrimage places. Muslims around the world have raised their voice against the Caliphate claiming that what groups like ISIL and AL-Qaeda practice is not real Islam. According to them, these extremist organizations perverted the religion to fulfill their political agendas, and these people put their money where their mouth is.
True Islam is gaining strength all over the world
Events like the one in Ireland are a direct consequence of the relatively new True Islam movement that has been making noise for quite some time now. Its principles are very different from what the news from the Middle East could make people believe. The movement claims there are 11 essential traits a true Islamic religion must have.
For instance, the followers of this trend refuse all forms of terrorism which do not mean they forget about their sacred traditions. That is why they say a violent Jihad has no place in this world, instead, they claim that all Muslim must strive to bring the good work of the Lord to Earth.
These along with the refusal of a bloody Messiah are very controversial points, but there are others that have a more human effect on the Muslim world. True believers of the Islam believe in equality for women in their society which takes away the exclusive power men wage within their communities.
They also talk about a separation from the Mosque and the state; they say religion must be separated from the government, and lastly, they seek for a unified leadership for all the Muslims in the world.
This might be some of the reasons for terrorists to be attacking Islamic sacred places, and it does not seem they are going to stop. It would be safe to assume that the local government is taking extra security measures in Mecca since it seems the trail of violence gets closer by the day to the holiest place on the earth for Muslims.
Source: BBC