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Crackdown on selling Mecca prayer space |
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News -
Middleeast News
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Tuesday, 15 September 2009 13:05 |
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Saudi Arabia is cracking down the unscrupulous practice of worshippers charging a reservation fee for prayer spaces at Mecca
's Grand Mosque, the holiest site in Islam, the BBC reported on its website.
Spaces sell for more than $300 during Ramadan when the mosque is especially crowded, the British broadcaster said, citing local newspapers.
Religious authorities have banned the practice, stating it contradicted the spirit of Islam, the BBC said.
Two people have been arrested for selling space in the Grand Mosque, it said.
Most of the offenders are Saudis who show up shortly before prayers start, the BBC added.
Maktoob
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