East is east, south is south and...

Don't let the Pope know about the massive inequality in the Muslim world;

MECCA - They may be equal before God inside Mecca's Grand Mosque, but the rich and poor pilgrims at the annual hajj clearly reveal their differences just beyond the gates.

Outside the southern end of the sprawling compound lies a temple to consumerism.

Or a mosque.

Several high-end hotels, malls and restaurants are found inside the six towers of the gargantuan Abraj al-Bait complex. It includes the Mecca Royal Clock Tower, the world's third-highest building which rises behind the mosque.

In contrast, beyond the eastern entrance of Islam's holiest site, water drips from air conditioners, garbage is piled beside the roads, and a stench fills the air.

Air conditioning, hmmm.