“On October 10, 2006, an Islamic website posted a message alerting Muslims to what it claims is a new insult to Islam. According to the message, the cube-shaped building which is being constructed in New York City, on Fifth Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets in midtown Manhattan, is clearly meant to provoke Muslims. The fact that the building resembles the Ka’ba, is called ‘Apple Mecca,’ is intended to be open 24 hours a day like the Ka’ba, and moreover, contains bars selling alcoholic beverages, constitutes a blatant insult to Islam. The message urges Muslims to spread this alert, in hope that ‘Muslims will be able to stop the project,'” The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reports in an article dated October 11, 2006.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son” for the heads up.]
SJ on a popsicle st… This is a joke, right?
Apple Store Fifth Avenue opened as a destination, a “mecca,” if you will, meaning only “a place that attracts people of a particular group or with a particular interest” and we mean nothing else by the use of the word “mecca” — in fact, we’re sorry we used it already, but we did so only because the MEMRI story used the word and, oh, we used it once in a headline for the Apple Store Fifth Avenue. Let’s just forget about that one, okay?
As we were saying, the Apple Store Fifth Avenue opened as a destination on May 6, 2006, so it’s too late to “stop the project,” by which we mean no disrespect. The “Genius Bars” contained (below ground, not in the cube) within the retail store dispense Macintosh computer advice, when not being overrun with generally clueless iPod owners: NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE SERVED (to customers, that we know of, not including ourselves – don’t ask).
The Apple Store Fifth Avenue is not “a new insult to Islam” nor is it “clearly meant to provoke Muslims.” Instead, it is meant a paean to the cube, as the perfect form or whatever the hell, sorry… heck, Steve Jobs thinks it is – even though the perfect form is a sphere (again, we mean no disrespect to Islam; or Jobs for that matter; in fact, we’re probably wrong about the sphere… Yeah, we’re definitely wrong). You see, Jobs has a serious love of cubes (see NeXT Cube, Power Mac G4 Cube), you might even call it a cube fetish… uh… or not… um, never mind.) and it is clearly meant ONLY to provoke retail sales for Apple products (and those products from certain chosen ones, you know, like Belkin, Bose, etc.) to all people, including Muslims.
Jobs, we hope this is a joke, by which we mean no disrespect to anyone if it isn’t. No disrespect whatsoever.
Related articles:
Apple Store Fifth Avenue’s 1 millionth customer receives prizes including MacBook, iPod and more – September 10, 2006
Apple Store Fifth Avenue grand opening generates worldwide press attention – May 22, 2006
Attention pilgrims: Friday Apple Store Fifth Avenue photos wanted [UPDATED with 360-degree QTVR] – May 21, 2006
Video of Apple Store Fifth Avenue Grand Opening from front of line – May 20, 2006
Man proposes marriage via Apple Store Fifth Avenue time-lapse movie (with images) – May 20, 2006
Videos of Apple CEO Steve Jobs on NBC Nightly News, CNBC – May 19, 2006
Apple posts time-lapse movies of Apple Store Fifth Avenue crowds – May 19, 2006
Apple fans crisscross world to attend Apple Retail Store grand opening celebrations – May 19, 2006
Video from Apple Store Fifth Avenue Grand Opening queue – May 19, 2006
JupiterResearch analyst: Apple Store Fifth Avenue ‘a stunning sight, puts a strong stamp on NYC’ – May 19, 2006
Steve Jobs at Apple Store Fifth Avenue (link to photos) – May 19, 2006
Attention pilgrims: Friday Apple Store Fifth Avenue photos wanted [UPDATED] – May 19, 2006
Apple’s Fifth Avenue Mecca could easily do $40 million in annual sales – May 19, 2006
As fans line up for Apple’s flagship Fifth Avenue retail store, a third NYC store is in the works – May 19, 2006
Sneak peak into Apple’s flagship Fifth Avenue Retail Store – May 18, 2006
Extraordinary Apple Store Fifth Avenue to open on Friday, May 19 (with photos) – May 18, 2006
Apple’s Fifth Avenue ‘Glass Cube’ store to test several retail innovations – May 17, 2006
Mac users to converge on NYC; plan overnight sidewalk camp for opening of Apple Store Fifth Avenue – May 13, 2006
Apple starts online countdown to Apple Store Fifth Avenue ‘Glass Cube’ Grand Opening – May 11, 2006
Apple CEO Steve Jobs may visit New York City to cut ribbon on glass cube – May 04, 2006
Apple’s Fifth Avenue ‘Glass Cube’ retail store grand opening on May 6 in New York City – April 27, 2006
32-foot-by-32-foot glass cube-topped Midtown Manhattan Apple ‘Mecca’ to serve the faithful 24/7? – April 18, 2006
Photos of Apple’s $9 million 32-foot-by-32-foot New York City Glass Cube – January 01, 2006
Steve Jobs to eventually take his NYC big glass cube with him – December 02, 2005
Glass cube assembly begins at site of Apple’s 25,000-square-foot 5th Avenue flagship store – October 28, 2005
RUMOR: Apple Store coming to Midtown Manhattan beneath transparent glass cube – March 04, 2005
Let’s face it, these people use and and every opportunity to play the Western media like a fine musical instrument, and this is no exception.
There is no end to self-perceived ‘insults’ when you can create and use every one of them to gain supporters.
On the picture of the Ka’ba it looks like they have more customers waiting outside anyway.
So, the muslims are holding the whole world hostage. They are coming in the absence of right-wingers in the western world.
Sol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haj
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/H/hajj/
It’s all quite a peacefull and spiritual journey (if abit over-crowded).
I had no idea so many rednecks were Mac users.
Wierd.
Like Republicans who smoke dope, and listen to Grateful Dead,
(With apologies to Supertramp)
Someday I hope the Middle East and SW Asia will be a peaceful and prosperous place where people can get along about as well as anywhere else. Sadly, that is not the case currently.
It’s not just the Jews and Muslims that cannot get along (in general, not everybody, O.K.?). Different flavors of Muslims dislike each other, different flavors of Jews dislike each other, different flavors of Christians dislike each other, different clans dislike each other, different ethnicities dislike each other. OMG.
Then the claims and rights. My great, great, great, great, great grandfather shat on your front lawn back in the day, or we were here first, or you killed my ancestor or whatever. Go figure the chances for peace.
I’m pretty sure that grace and mercy figure into the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths. I’m also sure that most smaller sects, agnostics and atheists also re kind of fond of the concept of grace. Why doesn’t everybody just forget who did what to who and who was here before who and kind of get along for the betterment of the neighborhood?
My solution to the Middle East is to put up Wind Farms, Solar Farms, etc and forget the whole lot of them. Let them choke on their oil. 100 square miles of solar panels could power the US at current levels without any Nuclear, Wind, Hydro, Coal, Oil, etc. We can make BioDiesel out of switch-grass at a yield many times that of soybeans, corn, etc.
The technology is ready. For what we have spent on BushCo’s fiasco in Iraq we could be well on our way. Now it’s just money and lives down the drain.
MDN! Why do you apologize?
I never apologize to paranoic and aggressive religious fundamentalists.
Whether they be Christian (and there’re more than enough of those in the USA) Muslim, Jewish, Hindu or whatever.
Don’t grovel to the religious fundamentalists. Whatever their religion, they are the cause of wars, terror, incarceration, and torture.
They are the scum of the world.
Stupid. Silly. Over-reacting. Dangerous.
Is the Louvre an insult to Egyptians?
http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp?bmLocale=en
Rights, Rights Your Bloody Well Rights
Have you been to the Middle East?
Have you met the people there?
I think that you would be surprised. Generally the people there are far more grounded, and unassuming then the average American (certainly Briton)
The problem, is that the only experience most Western people have of the Middle East, is the flash points.
You’ve gotta look at the sh!t going on at home. Race riots, gang wars, drug crimes, rapes, muggings…and most of these are for really petty or materialistic reasons.
At the end of it, there are always good people, there are always bad people, there are always people that will manipulate events to further their own agenda. There are always people that will do acts of good, with no credit or publicity.
These people exist in all parts of the world.
We are the same as them, they are the same as us.
Until you understand that, then you are lost.
I’m bailing out of this conversation now. I’ve been in these before. It always spirals into a horrible intolerant ugly mess.
Peace, and a new 24″ iMac to you all!
If I was a muslim I would be offended by idiot fanatics that are turning my religion into crap and the mockery of the all world. Can anyone be more fscking stupid and moronic to just utter such crying idiocy and post it in web sites to incite other fanatic idiots to go and maybe put a bomb there?
When all *other* muslims will get tired of the fscking idiots that are LITERALLY shitting on their OWN religion? Do yourself a favor, put your fanatics out of this world if you respect your own religion. This is really ludicrous.
Could you blame Westerns people if they truly believe muslim are all blood thirsty idiot fanatic not deserving anything but frontal lobotomy?
With such examples don’t be surprised some extreme right wing party gets elected one day out of utter repulsion and vote a law to extradite all muslims to their country of origin, disregarding whether or not they have acquired citizenship. It is enough to declare them by law “undesired and harmful persons”. There or concentrations camps.
Beware, fanatisms soon or later triggers extreme reactions. If you seed and spread hatred, soon you’ll be hated too.
Blind Faith, Blank Minds
— i have to agree on that !
Hi,
Im a muslim too. But Im not offended with the design of new Mac Store.
I believe one u should get the essence of these terms. For example ‘Mecca’ means a revered place and it can be used else where to represent a revered place, in this case for Mac users. Another word which come to my mind is ‘Guru’ which is of an indian origin, which means a holy person, but the essence here is someone expert in his/her field which is how its used every where.
My request to all muslims out there, not make this an issue.
One More Thing
I have written to the website authors…as a muslim.
So quit your yapping.
————————–
Dear Sirs
I am writing about your article regarding Apple’s so called Mecca Project.
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD131506
Not only is the original source factually incorrect, it is also devisive and trouble causing.
In your article it states “The fact that the building resembles the Ka’ba (see picture below), is called “Apple Mecca,” is intended to be open 24 hours a day like the Ka’ba, and moreover, contains bars selling alcoholic beverages, constitutes a blatant insult to Islam.”
The building does not resemble the Ka’ba at all, other than it’s cuboid. The final building, unveilied a few months ago is actually a glass structure, reflecting the fact that Steve Jobs, the Apple founder, is fond of cubeoid geometry. The picture you have on your website is the pre-unveiled building, which had black-plastic, in order to facilitate the construction of the glass building.
It is not called “Apple Mecca”, in any formal or official sense.
The fact that is sells alcohol is not an insult to Islam, as the building itself is not a reference to Islam.
I would hope that you would realise that re-printing such an inaccurate statement as this is equivelant to the type of low-life reporting that outlets like Fox-news, and the National Enquirer get up to.
There should be a level of responsibility on your part, to both check the accuracy of what you are reporting, and also to realise that this kind of reporting is inciteful, hateful, and certainly dangerous.
I would kindly request that you either remove this inciteful article from your website, or at least include a prominant disclaimer pointing out that the original source is wrong on many counts, innaccurate, and misleading.
Kindest Regards
Um, Billy, since when does the Apple Store sell alcohol? You’re only adding to the myth now.
“The fact that is sells alcohol is not an insult to Islam, as the building itself is not a reference to Islam.”
The fact is…that’s a myth.
This is ridiculous.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia is the biggest owner of the Apple Computer Inc. Steve Jobs is also half Arab (his father).
Apple respects Arab´s that is for sure.
doh!
MDN Word: research
It knows
These people need to actually try out OSX! the eye candy will please them and they will be happier! And if they work on their website on a Mac, this extended exposure to OSX will inspire them to more positive thoughts, love and peace!
Try out the Mac Mini for starters and use your existing monitor,keyboard and mouse or as I would recommend, jump right in with an iMac 20″. This will greatly enchance productivity and joy!
This is type of over reaction is frankly embarassing to the Muslim religion, you’all know Oct 10 is smack in the middle of the Ramadan month? from wikipeadia ” … most venerated, blessed and holiest month. Prayers, fasting, self-accountability and charity have special association with Ramadan. The religious observances of Ramadan occur throughout the entire Islamic (Lunar) calendar month” AKA not supposed to be a vengeful time.
We could always stick the cube behind a veil with the slit being the entrance, that should keep the poor muslim luvvies happy… for a while.
I want to thank you Billy Ash for making an effort to inform the website about their innacuracies and speaking out on this forum. Whenever a story like this is published some of us Christians react by condemning all Muslims but voices like yours bring us back to reality. Like you there must be countless Muslim Apple users who appreciate the Apple Store Fifth Avenue as an example of modern architecture and do not view it as an insult to your faith.
“All religions suck. Time for much of the world to stop believing in imaginary super-beings and face reality.”
AMEN TO THAT! (oops…)
RELIGION WILL BE THE END OF THE WORLD!
That guy needs to get out of Ramadam fast..
alu akbar “god is great”
for the boneheads on this site, i’m referring to allah.
A solution to many problems:
Moslems stay out of America – or accept their ways!!
Americans stay out of Middle East – nobody called you!!
Steve Jobs do it your way: it’s our way!
Pol Europe
NEW YORK, October 4 — A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator.
At a morning press conference, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement.
He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction. “Al-gebra is a problem for us,” Gonzales said. “They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values.
They use secret code names like ‘x’ and ‘y’ and refer to themselves as ‘unknowns’, but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer, Isosceles, used to say, ‘There are 3 sides to every triangle’.”
Email the website and let them know how factually incorrect they are.
memri@memri.org