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October 11, 2006

stores

Apple’s 5th Ave flagship store offensive to Islam?

Posted Oct. 11, ’06, 8:44 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Stores

Apple Store and the Ka'baLet’s nip this in the bud. There’s news going around that some Muslims have called to protest Apple’s 5th Avenue New York City store (top) for being similar to the religion’s primary holy site, the Ka’ba (bottom). While the two share some obvious features, primarily a cube-like construction, there are inaccuracies in the original story.

Yes, while the store was under construction, it did resemble the Ka’ba, but with the black paneling on the outside removed, that resemblance is limited only to the shape. The contention that the store, like the Ka’ba, is open 24 hours is nothing more than sheer coincidence.

And yes, while some did refer to the store as Apple’s “Mecca” (us included), it was never anything more than a name devised by Apple fans, not by the company itself. Furthermore, the initial report uses blatantly untrue facts, such as suggesting that alcohol is served in the store (alcohol is forbidden by Islamic law).

I did a bit of searching around as well and though the page I’ve linked to suggests that the call to protest came just yesterday, the issue has been floating around since the store’s opening in May. Moreover, Apple has publicly commented on it:

“It has come to our attention that a couple of blogs refer to the store as “Mecca” and others have observed that, during construction, when the clear glass entrance was protected by a black covering, it looked like the Kaaba,” the company said in statement to Asharq al Awsat.

“Apple has never referred to the new store as Mecca and the entrance is not an attempt to look similar to the Kaaba. We respect all people’s cultures and religions, and regret that the comments of these independent bloggers have offended anyone,” it added.

As a former student of both Islamic culture and the Arabic language, I think this is nothing more than an unfortunate confluence of events; to read any deliberate insult into it is, I think, merely looking for trouble.

[via ZDNet]


9 Comments

Mohamed Milyani said:

I'm a Muslim Mac User , I never thought that this building offend Islam , but some Muslim here think that any thing come from US offend Islam and Muslim.

But I'm Happy that Apple comment on public , at least that mean they care , and we hope that one day they care to support Arabic.

October 11, 2006 9:21 AM
skint said:

People are becoming too easily offended these days and its getting to be ridculous. Religion is only a small part of life, and when people feel offended by something so simple as black boards around a glass structure, it really takes the mick. There's always someone out there trying to make trouble over something so insignificant.

Mecca is Mecca, this is the Apple store - no likeness.

October 11, 2006 10:39 AM
omar said:

i was born muslim, and lived in the middle east to my mid 20s. so i can throw away the need for political correctness.
am just getting tired of people who have nothing better to do in their pathetic lives than bring up this BS and get offended for it, maybe my fellow muslims should apply for a patent for the name mecca and the Kabba shape like apple did for the ipod. (am being sarcastic) as a muslim who lives in a america i am offended by other muslims who do nothing but bring bad name for the rest of us.
believe it or not most of us "muslims" are normal people trying to live normal lives. this is getting polluted by a bunch of crazy fanatics who are getting enough coverage from the stupid media.
there is much bigger issues in the middle east than what looks like the Kabba . if they just pay a little attention to corruption, poverty, and dictatorship governments, then and only then they might accomplish something useful in their lives. as for the rest of us, we are leading very successful careers here in the USA.

October 11, 2006 10:46 AM
Ydnar1 said:

If this is the case then the Borg Cube in Star Trek: The Next Generation can be seen the same way...or the Rubics Cube...what wankers...

October 11, 2006 1:07 PM
Tawky Tawny said:

If these people were not dangerous, it would be hilarious. The Apple store is not even black, they've completely lost it.

Recently an installation inspired by the Kaaba has been rejected in Venice and Berlin.

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article01.asp?id=157

October 11, 2006 1:41 PM
Trent said:

Think of all the Chruches that have been turned into modern bars and night clubs here in the UK. I am a Methodist Christian myself, and I don't really see any harm in the idea. Sure - it's not what they were built for, but the concept is fantastic. It's just a building - crazy

October 11, 2006 1:44 PM
zeddy said:

Posting things like this is not very helpful. It just points to the ignorance of a few people, but everyone things all muslims are psychotic.

October 11, 2006 2:06 PM
Neil Fiertel said:

The non-issue of the cubic shape of the Apple Store reminding this or that religious group of their holy site is ludicrous in the extreme. Personally, if you do not like the expressive nature of Western Culture, live somewhere else. Although Western Culture absorbs and takes what is good from the entire world...the entire universe when possible and adds its own inventive nature to the mix. It is omnivourous and polymorphous and it, frankly, does not nor should it give a fig for this deranged hypersensitivity and paranoia when doing so and in any case there is no such stricture against cubes in Islam for otherwise there would have been a lot of flack for much of Middle eastern housing which not unlike the rest of the world uses cubic forms in its creation. In N.Y. one can order a ham on a bagel and no one will impale you for doing so. Just because Jews are not supposed to eat ham, combining ham with a traditional Jewish bread is not condemned. Do your own thing.
You might not like that aspect but it is the West and will remain so as the West believes and will defend the right to individual expression whether it is offensive or otherwise. Personally, I think the new Apple Store is beautiful and delicate and should be seen as such. In the case of the Apple Store this hypersensivity to its architecture is simply bizarre. What? Was the Kaaba the first and only cube in the universe? Please...As well...it is not the Kaaba that is the holy artifact...It is what is inside that is revered. Neither has a thing to do with an Apple Store. As I understand it, the first Muslims prayed toward Jerusalem and not Mecca. Maybe start referring to the NY APPLE STORE AS A JERUSALEM FOR ALL APPLE COMPUTER LOVERS INSTEAD. I doubt that Christians and Jews or aetheists such as I will get bent out of shape by that. I suggest that those that cannot appreciate the West, live elsewhere and not demand that we adapt to their beliefs. I will not and luckily living in the West, do not have to.

October 11, 2006 4:11 PM
David said:

The primary source is an uncited forum post that is being hyped by a website called MEMRI. A lot of digging will show that MEMRI is funded by Israeli inteligence. They are not an unbiased source, the selectively post news about Muslims to give them a bad name.

(my background: I am a white, atheist, political science student, I went to Israel this summer and speak some Arabic, I am trying to be unbiased here.)

October 12, 2006 5:30 AM

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