not an American concern On Nov 12, 1:09 pm, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/12/249092.html**** > ‘Destroy the idols,’ Egyptian jihadist calls for removal of Sphinx, Pyramids > **** > > [image: Description: Description: Murgan Salem al-Gohary, an Islamist > leader twice-sentenced under former President Hosni Mubarak for advocating > violence, called on Muslims to remove such “idols.” (Courtesy: Dream TV)]*** > * > > Murgan Salem al-Gohary, an Islamist leader twice-sentenced under former > President Hosni Mubarak for advocating violence, called on Muslims to > remove such “idols.” (Courtesy: Dream TV) **** > > An Egyptian jihad leader, with self-professed links to the Taliban, called > for the “destruction of the Sphinx and the Giza Pyramids in Egypt,” drawing > ties between the Egyptian relics and Buddha statues, local media reported > this week. > > Murgan Salem al-Gohary, an Islamist leader twice-sentenced under former > President Hosni Mubarak for advocating violence, called on Muslims to > remove such “idols.” > > “All Muslims are charged with applying the teachings of Islam to remove > such idols, as we did in Afghanistan when we destroyed the Buddha statues,” > he said on Saturday during a television interview on an Egyptian private > channel, widely watched by Egyptian and Arab audiences. > > “God ordered Prophet Mohammed to destroy idols,” he added. “When I was with > the Taliban we destroyed the statue of Buddha, something the government > failed to do.” > > His comments came a day after thousands of ultraconservative Islamists > gathered in Tahrir Square to call for the strict application of Sharia law > in the new constitution. > > But in retaliation to Gohary’s remarks, the vice president of Tunisia’s > Ennahda party, Sheikh Abdel Fattah Moro, called the live program and told > Gohary that famous historic military commander Amr ibn al-Aas did not > destroy statues when he conquered Egypt. > > “So who are you to do it?” he wondered. “The Prophet destroyed the idols > because people worshiped them, but the Sphinx and the Pyramids are not > worshiped.” > > Gohary, 50, is well-known in Egypt for his advocacy of violence, Egypt > Independent reported. > > “He was sentenced twice, one of the two sentences being life imprisonment. > He subsequently fled Egypt to Afghanistan, where he was badly injured in > the American invasion. In 2007, he traveled from Pakistan to Syria, which > then handed him over to Egypt. After Mubarak's fall in early 2011, he was > released from prison by a judicial ruling,” the newspaper added. > > In recent months, fears have surfaced that the ultra-conservative Salafi > political powers may soon wish to debate new guidelines over Egyptian > antiquities. > > Islamists have swept the recent presidential and parliamentary elections in > the country’s post-revolutionary stage, with the Muslim Brotherhood and the > ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists rising to political power. > > “The fundamental Salafis have demanded to cover Pharaonic statues, because > they regard them to be idols,” Egyptian author on ancient history Ahmed > Osman told Al Arabiya English, explaining that Salafi Muslims follow > conservative religious principles which view statues and sculptures as > prohibited in Islam. > > “But so far the government has done nothing to indicate what is the future > of Egyptian antiquities,” adds Osman. > > Many hope that Egypt’s new President Mohammed Mursi will help usher better > preservation of Egypt’s proud cultural heritage. Egyptian officials have > recently announced the country will reveal more of its ancient buried > treasures. > > The tomb of Queen Meresankh III, the granddaughter of Khufu, of Great > Pyramid fame, is set to be opened to tourists later this year, with the > last resting places of five high priests also slated to be put on show. > > Officials are also believed to be reopening the underground Serapeum temple > at Sakkara, to the south of Cairo.**** > > **** > > **** > > image001.jpg > 303KViewDownload
-- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
