The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Islamic absolute monarchy, and there, Islam is the state religion.
For the many things the Kingdom is known for, Mecca, the city located in the western part of the country, inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, is considered the holiest of them all in Islam.
This is because the city is the place where Masjid al-Haram is located. The mosque, which is also the al-Ḥarām, "The Sacred Mosque," the "Grand Mosque," or the "Great Mosque of Mecca," is the largest mosque in the world by a long margin. It's where the Kaaba is located, in which the cuboid-shaped building in the center of site is the focal point for Islamic rituals like prayer and pilgrimage.
Because it's the holiest place of Islam, the Saudi Arabian government enforces a law that requires all people there to be Muslims.
But one person, wanted to "conquer" it.
The Christian man went there, to say that "Christ is King," before things backfired.
What happened here is that, the man who claimed to be a Christian, did what Muslims do in Mecca, and all that in order to remain under the radar.
In Masjid al-Haram, where the site encloses the Kaaba, the man dressed in Arabic attire, and even wore the ihram as he pretended pilgrimage. He walked amongst all the Muslims there, while keeping his secret to himself.
After he shared his experience there in his Instagram post, many commented against him, but not in uncanny harsh ways.
Many said that instead of accomplishing what he said he did, he was instead lying to himself. The only person he fooled is himself.
"You dress like a Muslim , prayed like a Muslim , said you are a Muslim, you didn’t conquer anything in fact islam conquered you , You entered baital Allah and you still miss all the signs Allah threw in your face, indeed God guide whom he wills," one user said.
"Thank you for showing everyone that the rules of Islam have conquered you even though you haven't found the right way. may Allah forgive you and open your heart," said another.
"You had to obey and follow all Islamic rules to get there, and be there You 'followed' means you conquered by islam. We are very happy, that your heart also conquered by the beauty of Mekkah that urged you thousand miles away to see it in person. We respect your faith. We hope you will also get guidance. Keep it up brother.. share more about islam," said another.
What's more, some people said that by doing what he did, the man simply admitted that he submitted himself.
"Alhamdulillah that you had to dress like a Muslim, behave like one, and maybe even performed pilgrimage like one lol what utter humiliation for you that you had to submit to Islam and probably even at one point identify as a Muslim to get in. We Muslims are so sure of our faith that we will never ever dress like Christian or ever utter the word 'I am a Christian'. But you had to utter I am a Muslim. Your plan backfired," commented another.
In Saudi Arabia, there is no law that requires all citizens to be Muslim, and that the government said that it guarantees and protects the right to private worship for all, including non-Muslims who gather in their own homes doing their religious practices.
But in both Mecca and Medina, things are different because the cities are two of the three holiest cities in Islam.
Due to the religious significance of Mecca and Medina, the two cities are only open to Muslims. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the cities, and shall not granted entry nor a pass through, as the cities are considered a sacred space reserved for believers. This rule is enforced by the Saudi Arabian government and is meant to preserve the sanctity of both holy sites.
Non-Muslims who got caught, shall be interrogated about their motivations.
In some cases, they should go to court.
But in the end, and in many of the cases, got caught inside Mecca or Medina as a non-Muslim only resulted in penalties such as a fine; and being deported.
The less-than-harsh punishments, and how the many entries to the cities are widely open, there is no way for the government to scrutinize everyone who goes in, and out of the cities. Falsifying documents, or simply traveling there on land, has made it possible for non-Muslims to enter the cities.
Looking back to history, this is far from the first time a person managed to enter Mecca, and even documenting the inside of Masjid al-Haram as a non-Muslim. A number of people who claimed to be non-Muslims, including Jews journalists, have got away with it.
