Manama: The Governor of Makkah has ordered a probe in the case of a policeman leaning on the Kaaba with his shoes against the wall. 
 
 Prince Mishal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz said that such an attitude could not be tolerated and called for disciplinary action against the policeman for failing to live up to the privilege and honour of serving in such a place. 
 
 In Arab culture, displaying the sole of one’s foot or touching someone, or something sacred, with a shoe or with feet is considered highly offensive. 
 
 A picture of the policeman leaning on the sacred cube triggered a heated debate on social networks in the Muslim world with reactions ranging from gentle understanding of his condition after hours of confronting challenges to outright condemnation for not respecting the sanctity of the place. 
 
 Prince Mishal told the head of the Makkah police Abdul Aziz Al Sooli to hold dedicated workshops and training sessions to educate the security and civilian staff at the Grand Mosque on ways of behaving and of dealing with people in order to offer the best services, local news site Sabq reported on Tuesday. 
 
 Officials initially said that the security man was not wearing shoes, but rubber sockets that staff at the Grand Mosque used regularly. 
 
 In 2008, in a display of his revulsion to the American occupation of his country, Iraqi journalist Muntadhar Al Zaidi hurled his shoes at then US president George Bush as they conducted a press conference in Baghdad. 
 
 Muslims often refrain from allowing their shoes to be turned upside down in order to avoid the sole from ‘facing God’. It is also customary to take off shoes before entering mosques and homes. ||||| Image caption This image has been widely shared on social media 
 
 A photo of a Saudi policeman resting his foot on a holy building has angered many in the Arab world, but also triggered a wave of sympathy. 
 
 The image has been shared widely on Twitter, and appears to show a policeman leaning back against the Kaaba - a square building at the centre of Islam's most sacred mosque, in Mecca. It's unclear who took the photo. 
 
 "This is the most holy place on earth, look at how he is undermining it," said one tweeter. "People dream all their life to touch Kaaba just once... but this guy is so disrespectful," said another, in reference to the pilgrimage that many Muslims hope to make to the hallowed spot. The hashtag #عسكري_يضع_قدمه_على_الكعبة, which translates as #SoldierPutsHisFootOnTheKaaba has been used more than 17,000 times. The picture has appeared on a number of news websites, prompting complaints from some readers who object to its publication. 
 
 The governor of Mecca, Prince Mishal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, has reportedly ordered an investigation into the incident, and called for disciplinary action. In Arab culture, touching something sacred with a shoe is considered highly offensive. Officials initially claimed he wasn't wearing shoes, but a type of rubber slipper that staff at the mosque use regularly. 
 
 Many have now taken to Twitter to speak out in defence of the policeman. Many said he must have been very tired and needed a break. "This is silly, people need to get their priorities straight," said one, and "it's just a big rock people," said another. Several people suggested the picture itself was hypocritical: "Who's taking photos during Haj?" asked one. 
 
 Prince Mishal has apparently now asked the police to hold workshops and training sessions to educate staff at the mosque on how to behave.
– A Saudi police officer is the scourge of many in the Arab world today after a photo of him resting his shoe against a holy site went viral, reports Gulf News. The officer was snapped leaning against the Kaaba, which the BBC describes as "a square building at the center of Islam's most sacred mosque, in Mecca." A hashtag that translates to #SoldierPutsHisFootOnTheKaaba is getting heavy use, along the lines of one tweet that complains, "This is the most holy place on earth, look at how he is undermining it." The governor of Mecca has ordered an investigation and disciplinary action.