Mecca vs. Makkah
Over the past three decades or so, the names of several countries and cities across the world have undergone a change. Some changes were uncontroversial such as when the name of streets got changed or to a highly disputed one when a country’s name was changed. There were many reasons to undertake renaming, with political motivation being the main one. Sometimes a place reverted to its earlier name usually after its newly acquired independence. When a country split such as in the cases of Pakistan and Sudan, the newly acquired borders took on different names.
A quick glance over the past decades will see changes in the names of several countries:
East Pakistan changed to Bangladesh (1971); Ceylon changed to Sri Lanka (1972); Gold Coast changed to Ghana (1957); Burma changed to Myanmar (1989); Siam changed to Thailand (1949); Dutch East Indies changed to Indonesia (1945/1949); Portuguese Timor changed to East Timor (1975); Rhodesia changed to Zimbabwe (1980).
Several cities in various countries also changed their names:
Dacca changed to Dhaka; Rangoon changed to Yangon; Calcutta changed to Kolkata; Madras changed to Chennai; Bombay changed to Mumbai; Saigon changed to Ho Chi Minh City; Edo changed to Tokyo; Peking changed to Beijing etc.
The list goes on…
However, one name continues to stick on --- and that is Mecca.
The interesting part is that while the world and the international media has accepted changes in names of all cities and countries and refer to the places with their new official names, it has simply refused to accept “Makkah” as the official name in place of “Mecca.” Just some days back, the QL Team used the name Mecca instead of Makkah in one its articles it had posted at Qatar Living. Microsoft Word has not updated its system and the name Makkah always draws a red line underneath it. Google and Wikipedia still continue to use Mecca as their spelling of this name.
The issue of the name “Mecca” has come up several times over the past. In the 1980s and the 1990s, Le Meca (Spanish for Mecca) was one of the most popular discos in the coastal city of Aguila, southeastern Spain. The nightclub reopened in 2010 after remaining closed for a decade due to renovations being carried out. The nightclub was adorned with minarets just like those found in mosques. Even its logo had Islamic symbols. The Muslims of Spain protested. The owners then decided to change the name to La Isla (the island). They also confirmed they would modify controversial features of the clubs architecture namely a minaret-like tower that would be converted into a lighthouse-like tower. The disco’s logo would also get changed.
Another such incident was in 1981 when an amusement park and gambling center in Glasgow, UK was named Mecca. It was then that a Royal decree was issued on July 23. 1981 by the Saudi government changing the name from Mecca to Makkah .
Furthermore, the Roman-letter transliteration from the Arabic name is “Makkah.” The Roman-letter rendering of the city’s name employs academic norms of transliteration from Arabic into English. As such, the only correct form of spelling the name is “Makkah.”
It is a standard practice all over the world to respect other government’s rights to dictate how local names should be spelt.
The question remains: Why does the world continue to use the word “Mecca” rather than the correct form “Makkah” when it has readily accepted changes in names of other cities and countries of the world?
WT, You need to look into your heart, look into your soul ......... than worrying about what your hosts say ................ A good guest never interferes into the host's affairs .............. Joys ......
Mufti, That's call soul searching my dear ............ It's good sign you are on the right path now ..................
About my community, I don't understand why are our sentiments easily hurt. We occupy ourselves with these petty issue. The outcome is before us, our contribution in the modern times is almost nil.
Are there not more important issues that muslins should be addressing
As you think. Guess you know everything better. Have a nice Eid.
WT: As for the Mercedes part being good, I accept that statement from the Arabs as they have a penchant for cars and Mercedes is indeed a very good vehicle. As for the statement "Hitler good," you claim made by Arabs, this is something from your imagination devised for purposes of defense. Most Arabs in this region do not know who Hitler was.The ones who do, can be counted on the fingers, and they couldn't care less what he did was good or bad.
I am also totally insulted when the Americans call Kaiserslautern "K-Town". What an insult!! But the worst insult is when Arabs, and most of them are Muslims, get to know that I'm German and they say:" Mercedes good, and Hitler good." Do you know why they are so stupid, accha?
//The owners then decided to change the name to La Isla (the island). They also confirmed they would modify controversial features of the clubs architecture namely a minaret-like tower that would be converted into a lighthouse-like tower. The disco’s logo would also get changed.//
Wise owners, they saved their disco from sucide bombers.
Britexpat: Did other governments across the world "enforce" a change when they changed the names of their countries or their cities? How did they manage to do it?
In the second last para my posts says,"It is a standard practice...how local names should be spelt."
It is all a matter of accepting the change. In the case of Mecca "they" just don't want to change it. Possibly, this may be because the name Mecca continues to be used as a name of gambling dens, casinos, bars, and nightclubs.
Brit, To how many people should they teach , every 18 years another batch comes , which is totally raw ............. ....... to tough to handle ..........
acchabaccha : As far as the 'correct' spelling of the name is concerned , perhaps the onus is on the Saudis to enforce it
There is no need to go left or right ..............
acchabaccha:
http://thegrammarexchange.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/340600179/m/563104132
Brit: Their is just one single purpose in naming these places as Mecca --- to provoke and instigate and insult. Nothing other than that.
In Indonesia, a court ordered Nireta Vista Creative, owner of Buddha Bar, to close Buddha Bar immediately after a legal suit was filed by Anti-Buddha Bar Forum which was upset by the bar's use of Buddha'a name and Buddhist decorations.
My simple question in my original post which I am repeating again was: Why does the world and the western media (I guess BBC is among them) continue using the name Mecca while o-f-f-i-c-i-a-l-l-y the name has been changed to Makkah? They have happily accepted changes in the names of other cities and countries but simply refuse to change over to Makkah.
WHY?
WHY?
&
WHY?
It is due to mischief & politics ...... and nothing else .....
I think they use the term Mecca for gambling dens because it's where all the believers congregate ..
I don't think it's disparaging
WT: I disagree with you totally on this. It has got nothing to do with pronunciation of the word at all. It has all got to do with hitting and hurting Muslims in every way. Pray tell me why was the name Mecca used for a "gambling den" in the UK? There were thousands and thousands of other names to choose from. Why the disco and nightclub in Spain have a minaret on top along with Islamic symbols in its logo?
They were deliberate acts with a purpose in mind --- to hurt Muslim feelings.
And the world still sticks to spelling the name as Mecca and not Makkah.
WHY?
Wakrah also rhymes with Makkah.
Why does the German post office file Qatar as "Katar"? And why do the English speaking people call Roma "Rome"? And why is Bejing "Peking" in German?
Because it allows the different speakers to pronounce the names in their language. That's why.
Thank you for the post.