NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

USA Conversation

The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

Everything in Mecca gets 5 stars — and online reviews of other holy sites are wildly inflated, too

  • Written by Tom van Laer, Associate Professor of Narratology, University of Sydney
Like any other travelers, Muslim pilgrims review their hajj trips on sites like TripAdvisor — usually with extreme enthusiasm.AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

For the millions of Muslims preparing to gather in Saudi Arabia on Aug. 9 for the hajj, an obligatory pilgrimage to the Grand Mosque in Mecca, planning is a major part of the process.

Back in...

Read more: Everything in Mecca gets 5 stars — and online reviews of other holy sites are wildly inflated, too

More Articles ...

  1. The facts on the US children and teens killed by firearms
  2. The 'warspeak' permeating everyday language puts us all in the trenches
  3. Guns and mental illness: A psychiatrist explains the complexities
  4. From across the globe to El Paso, changes in the language of the far-right explain its current violence
  5. Space travel might fry your brain, causing permanent learning and memory problems
  6. Astronauts' brains are subject to long-lasting damage due to low dose space radiation
  7. Police are more likely to kill men and women of color
  8. Stop blaming video games for mass killings
  9. How the University of Alaska – and other public U.S. universities – now struggle for funding
  10. This tax credit wasn't meant to help with housing, but that's exactly what it's doing
  11. Will Trump’s trade war with China ever end?
  12. Human breast milk may help babies tell time via circadian signals from mom
  13. Why do so many working class Americans feel politics is pointless?
  14. Understanding Christians' climate views can lead to better conversations about the environment
  15. Boost in high school students taking advanced computer science could change the face of tech
  16. Could a national buyback program reduce gun violence in America?
  17. Could a national gun buyback program reduce the 393 million guns on America's streets?
  18. Scammers don't cheat because they need the money — they cheat because they're cheaters
  19. Puerto Ricans unite against Rosselló – and more than a decade of cultural trauma
  20. There's a dark political history to language that strips people of their dignity
  21. The White House is upending decades of protocol for policy-making
  22. An ambitious plan to stop the rise of superbugs
  23. Are shared e-scooters good for the planet? Only if they replace car trips
  24. Grudges come naturally to kids – gratitude must be taught
  25. As Herman Melville turns 200, his works have never been more relevant
  26. Why science needs the humanities to solve climate change
  27. The Muslim Hajj: A spiritual pilgrimage with political overtones
  28. Why isn't Stacey Abrams running? Because African Americans lose to incumbent governors and senators
  29. Why the 'brain-eating' amoeba found in freshwater lakes – while rare – is so deadly
  30. Conspiracy theories and fear of needles contribute to vaccine hesitancy for many parents
  31. Fed rate cut bails out Trump for policies that are slowing the economy
  32. If Germany atoned for the Holocaust, the US can pay reparations for slavery
  33. What’s the scoop on kids and dirt? Get enough to help, but not enough to hurt, a doctor advises
  34. Black bears adapt to life near humans by burning the midnight oil
  35. Political polarization is about feelings, not facts
  36. School spankings are banned just about everywhere around the world except in US
  37. All public universities get private money, but some get much more than the rest
  38. Yes, flesh-eating bacteria are in the warm coastal waters – but it doesn't mean you'll get sick
  39. How organized labor can reverse decades of decline
  40. More Central American migrants take shelter in churches, recalling 1980s sanctuary movement
  41. The rhetorical trick Trump used on the 'Squad' and how it could affect the vote
  42. Opioid epidemic may have cost states at least $130 billion in treatment and related expenses – and that's just the tip of the iceberg
  43. Curious Kids: How are cats declawed, and is it painful?
  44. Budgeting for charity: A new way for the government to encourage giving
  45. The difference between 'left' and 'liberal' – and why voters need to know
  46. How did the presidential campaign get to be so long?
  47. How ICE enforcement has changed under the Trump administration
  48. Why Facebook's new 'privacy cop' is doomed to fail
  49. Why Trump's stoking of white racial resentment is effective – but makes all working-class Americans worse off
  50. Restricting SNAP benefits could hurt millions of Americans – and local communities