Mithu is an old friend. If there is anything that he enjoys the most, it is talking about his explorations and voyages. His only two passions in life are to travel the world and help others ease their burdens. During a conversation, he disclosed that not all his trips as a global tourist were happy ones. Some places look benign but have iniquitous souls.
He explained to me that places have souls and have different characters because of the uniqueness of their souls. Every tree, every neighbourhood, every town, every city, every desert, every jungle has a soul, he revealed. He believed he had the skill to sense if the soul of the place was a positive or a negative one.
Below is the transcript of the chat between myself and Mithu. For those who have not met him, Mithu is a beautiful Indian Ringneck Parakeet. He is a proficient speaker.
Me: Tell me, have you ever visited a place, where you did not feel serene being there.
Mithu: Yes, the sin cities. I still feel disheartened when I think about those nefarious cities.
Me: The sin cities? I have not heard of sin cities. I cannot imagine any city being immune to sin. Sin happens in every city.
Mithu: True, you are right in your thinking. But, sadly, some cities were specially created purely for sin, while others were made into sin cities. What they all have in common is a decadent underbelly.
Me: Oh. I did not know that. Tell me, what is a sin city? How do you define a sin city?
Mithu: A sin city is a place, a tourist place, whose economy depends on frivolous activities ranging from theme parks, musical shows, sports venues, marinas, gambling, and as well as being the favourite destination of sex tourists.
Me: Tell me more, how does a sin city differ from any normal city?
Mithu: After the First World War, Berlin’s reputation for decadence grew. Prostitution became widespread in the city. Despite the rise in drugs and crime in the city, I would not include Berlin in my list of sin cities as it does not fit the category in the traditional sense. It was the aftermath of the war that created the dire situation, it was not purposefully designed for that reason.
Me: Name me a city that you think fits the category of a sin city.
Mithu: Havana! The capital of Cuba. It was renowned for its luxury hotels, casinos, and nightclubs in the 1930s and soon the American crime syndicates began to take considerable interest in the city. Havana was known as a cosmopolitan city until 1959. The communist revolution in 1959 changed everything. The money from corruption made a quick exit from the city to its new place, the new sin city.
Me: Where would that be?
Mithu: Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. It never reached the same heights as Havana. It was on its way to becoming a sin city, but, the 1975 civil war brought an end to its title of a cosmopolitan city. Had the wars not disrupted its rise, just imagine what it would have been like by the year 2000 or thereafter. As Beirut fell, another Arab city chose to become a sin city and successfully true.
Me: I know Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, it has a marina and it is a tourist spot.
Mithu: No, Dubai in UAE. Sin cities tend to have a sudden influx of illicit money and Dubai attracted its fair share of illicit money.
Me: I think you are wrong, Dubai was built with oil money.
Mithu: Really, do you mean the oil money from politicians from third world countries (like the president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, and many before him) who brought millions of looted dollars and invested in UAE plazas and high towers.
Sin cities never question whether the money is from corruption or not. Perhaps this is why sin cities have a very short life span.
Me: Are you kidding me? UAE is a powerful regional leader.
Mithu: What do you mean regional leader? Playing the puppet of the Zionists does not make you a regional leader. The oil has peaked, they no longer have spare capacity to pump more. The game is over. Regional upheaval is imminent. A new sin city is being built in the region and Dubai may not be able to compete with it. I would say that Dubai’s days are numbered.
Me: A new sin city? which city is that?
Mithu: Neom city in Saudi Arabia. The chances are Neom city will be much bolder than Dubai has ever been in its claim to sin city. The Saudis are aware of the peak oil. Eventually, the income from oil will start to diminish. MBS has decided to change the economy and increase tourism in the country. I wonder if he will open up whorehouses in Neom city like there are in Dubai.
Who knows, he might even introduce casinos in Neom city. We can never be too sure how far they will go in the name of liberalism.
Me: Yes, it seems they are moving from one extreme to another extreme. It was inevitable that they would move from extreme conservatism to extreme liberalism. Their extreme liberalism will likely be as shocking as was their extreme conservatism. Neither approach is representing the true picture of Islam.
Tell me, why do you think they chose a location in the northwest of the country to build Neom city?
Mithu: I do not think MBS is the main decision-maker. It is most likely that somebody advised him. If you look at the Bernard Lewis Plan for the new Middle East, it shows that Saudi Arabia is intended to be divided into many different mini-states.
If you look at the map below, the oil is in eastern Saudi Arabia that will be self-sufficient. The religious province will have its income from the pilgrims mainly. But, there is no real source of income for the new state in the northwest. Neom city with its decadent underbelly would bring sufficient income for that state.
Me: I am just looking at the map, Beirut is north of Tel Aviv (Israel) and Neom is in the south of Tel Aviv. You do not mention Tel Aviv, even though it is the gay capital of the world.
Mithu: Perhaps because it does not attract tourists and dirty money from all over the world, the way sin cities do. A similar explanation can be given for Las Vegas, Nevada, in the USA. Ashraf Ghani, would not have been allowed to bring his money to Las Vegas.
Me: So why do you think sin cities have a short life span? Why has Las Vegas not experienced its downfall then?
Mithu: Eventually, they all face the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah, a divine punishment. The fall of Las Vegas is interrelated to the downfall of America as an empire. It is a matter of time. Secondly, international tourists want something new all the time, so a new sin city becomes more attractive to them. Thirdly, international capitalists, once they have got their return on investment, they will want to invest in a new sin city. To make sure that they receive a return on their investment they will likely help destroy the old sin city too.
Whichever way you look at it, sin cities have a corrupted soul.
Me: Yes, the glitter of a sin city is deceptively beautiful. But, underneath the glitter, the places are soulless. Just like looking after the human spirit is essential for our health, it is equally important that we look after the places that we live in. A healthy soul is vital for restoring the mind.
Stay safe stay blessed.