Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously

Started by jimmy olsen, November 13, 2012, 08:09:40 PM

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jimmy olsen

Things are definitely not looking good for Egypt these days.

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/13/249354.html

QuoteEgypt takes threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously: official

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

By AL ARABIYA

Egypt is taking a jihadist's calls to destroy the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx "seriously," an Egyptian interior ministry source has said, according to reports.

The source, who was not named, spoke to the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper late Monday in response to Sheikh Murgan Salem al-Gohary's television interview earlier this week.

Gohary, a jihadist 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.

The Islamist, previously 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.

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.
It is far better for the truth to tear my flesh to pieces, then for my soul to wander through darkness in eternal damnation.

Jet: So what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?
Faye: Ordinary. The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can't leave alone.
Jet: I see.
Faye: Like an angel from the underworld. Or a devil from Paradise.
--------------------------------------------
1 Karma Chameleon point

mongers

Of all the world monuments to threaten, I think the Giza pyramids would be the hardest to destroy, what are they in the 3-10 million tonnes of stone each.

Even the Sphinx is fairly substantial, I guess you could blow off its human head, but that would require some preparation.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

Darth Wagtaros

It isn't really as big as you'd think.  It could be defaced or destroyed with explosives easily enough.  The Sphinx that is.
PDH!

Razgovory

Yeah, I mean according to Islamic chroniclers one guy knocked the nose off the Sphinx ( I don't know if that's true or not though).  The Pyramids are like big hill made of stone.
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

Ed Anger

Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

mongers

Any one got a source for good estimate of the weights of the three Giza pyramids ?

I suspect I could be off by an order or two of magnitude.  :blush:

edit:
I've found one reference on wiki to a figure taken from a book on the subject of the great pyramids dimensions.
The suggestion is it's 6×109 kg which is what, 6 million tonnes.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

jimmy olsen

Quote from: Razgovory on November 13, 2012, 08:32:23 PM
Yeah, I mean according to Islamic chroniclers one guy knocked the nose off the Sphinx ( I don't know if that's true or not though).  The Pyramids are like big hill made of stone.
I thought a French canonball knocked the nose off?
It is far better for the truth to tear my flesh to pieces, then for my soul to wander through darkness in eternal damnation.

Jet: So what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?
Faye: Ordinary. The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can't leave alone.
Jet: I see.
Faye: Like an angel from the underworld. Or a devil from Paradise.
--------------------------------------------
1 Karma Chameleon point

11B4V

"there's a long tradition of insulting people we disagree with here, and I'll be damned if I listen to your entreaties otherwise."-OVB

"Obviously not a Berkut-commanded armored column.  They're not all brewing."- CdM

"We've reached one of our phase lines after the firefight and it smells bad—meaning it's a little bit suspicious... Could be an amb—".

garbon

"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.


11B4V

"there's a long tradition of insulting people we disagree with here, and I'll be damned if I listen to your entreaties otherwise."-OVB

"Obviously not a Berkut-commanded armored column.  They're not all brewing."- CdM

"We've reached one of our phase lines after the firefight and it smells bad—meaning it's a little bit suspicious... Could be an amb—".

Valmy

Quote from: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 08:49:09 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on November 13, 2012, 08:32:23 PM
Yeah, I mean according to Islamic chroniclers one guy knocked the nose off the Sphinx ( I don't know if that's true or not though).  The Pyramids are like big hill made of stone.
I thought a French canonball knocked the nose off?

Please tell me you are kidding.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

HVC

Quote from: Valmy on November 13, 2012, 09:39:48 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 08:49:09 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on November 13, 2012, 08:32:23 PM
Yeah, I mean according to Islamic chroniclers one guy knocked the nose off the Sphinx ( I don't know if that's true or not though).  The Pyramids are like big hill made of stone.
I thought a French canonball knocked the nose off?

Please tell me you are kidding.
its always France's fault, you know that. 
Being lazy is bad; unless you still get what you want, then it's called "patience".
Hubris must be punished. Severely.

CountDeMoney

Quote from: Valmy on November 13, 2012, 09:39:48 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 08:49:09 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on November 13, 2012, 08:32:23 PM
Yeah, I mean according to Islamic chroniclers one guy knocked the nose off the Sphinx ( I don't know if that's true or not though).  The Pyramids are like big hill made of stone.
I thought a French canonball knocked the nose off?

Please tell me you are kidding.

Somebody watches a cartoon in their formative toddler years, it's seared into their minds.

Hell, I thought the Barber of Seville actually had a barber shop.

HVC

Bugs single handedly defamed and libeled nimrod. That's a pretty impressive feat.
Being lazy is bad; unless you still get what you want, then it's called "patience".
Hubris must be punished. Severely.