The Thinking Muslim Are Modern Cities Killing Our Souls? With Dr Heba Raouf Ezzat
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Aug 12, 2025 Dr. Heba Raouf Ezzat, a renowned political scientist and former professor at Cairo University and LSE, dives deep into the soul-crushing aspects of modern cities. She critiques urban planning that prioritizes capitalist ideals over communal well-being. With insights on the cultural displacement caused by gentrification, she emphasizes the need to balance modernity with spiritual values, especially in sacred spaces like Mecca. Dr. Ezzat advocates for urban designs that reconnect individuals to their heritage and promote genuine community living, urging us to rethink what city life should embody.
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Plan Sacred Spaces With Scholars
- Prioritise spiritual function over sheer capacity when planning sacred urban spaces like Mecca.
- Invite religious scholars and local planners to co-design development that preserves spiritual atmosphere.
Commercialisation Segregates Pilgrimage
- Commercialisation of pilgrimage creates class segregation in sacred rituals and restricts poorer pilgrims' access.
- Urban segregation in cities fractures brotherhood by physically separating rich and poor.
Development Can Be Displacement
- Urban planning often displaces millions under the banner of development, rupturing social fabrics and rights to place.
- Heba cites 2.9 million displaced Egyptians in the last decade due to urban projects.
