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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 08:09:40 PM

Title: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 08:09:40 PM
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.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: mongers on November 13, 2012, 08:24:37 PM
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.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Darth Wagtaros on November 13, 2012, 08:29:28 PM
It isn't really as big as you'd think.  It could be defaced or destroyed with explosives easily enough.  The Sphinx that is.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Ed Anger on November 13, 2012, 08:33:33 PM
Blow the motherfuckers up.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: mongers on November 13, 2012, 08:41:12 PM
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.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: 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?
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: 11B4V on November 13, 2012, 08:57:30 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on November 13, 2012, 08:33:33 PM
Blow the motherfuckers up.

Creationist!
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: garbon on November 13, 2012, 08:59:49 PM
Idols? Does anyone actually worship those objects? :unsure:
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Ed Anger on November 13, 2012, 09:01:11 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on November 13, 2012, 08:57:30 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on November 13, 2012, 08:33:33 PM
Blow the motherfuckers up.

Creationist!

I didn't say what to blow up.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: 11B4V on November 13, 2012, 09:02:36 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on November 13, 2012, 09:01:11 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on November 13, 2012, 08:57:30 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on November 13, 2012, 08:33:33 PM
Blow the motherfuckers up.

Creationist!

I didn't say what to blow up.

Quite so. Carry on then.  :bowler:
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: HVC on November 13, 2012, 09:51:44 PM
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. 
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: CountDeMoney on November 13, 2012, 09:53:52 PM
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.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: HVC on November 13, 2012, 09:55:39 PM
Bugs single handedly defamed and libeled nimrod. That's a pretty impressive feat.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: dps on November 13, 2012, 10:02:29 PM
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.

Yeah, French fire at Trafalgar wasn't very accurate, but it wasn't that inaccurate.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 10:32:53 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 13, 2012, 09:53:52 PM
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.
I don't remember picking up this myth by seeing it on a cartoon, but I must have picked it up somewhere.

The real story.
http://www.napoleon-series.org/faq/c_sphinx.html
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: garbon on November 13, 2012, 10:38:13 PM
When I want the real story I consult encyclopedias and illustrated references.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Eddie Teach on November 13, 2012, 10:48:38 PM
I consult Languish.  :sleep:
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: HVC on November 13, 2012, 10:55:10 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 10:32:53 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 13, 2012, 09:53:52 PM
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.
I don't remember picking up this myth by seeing it on a cartoon, but I must have picked it up somewhere.

The real story.
http://www.napoleon-series.org/faq/c_sphinx.html
yes, explain to us who knew you were wrong already why you were wrong :P
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: garbon on November 13, 2012, 11:11:27 PM
Except that he posted a link that claims it knows definitively the actual answer.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 11:14:55 PM
Quote from: garbon on November 13, 2012, 11:11:27 PM
Except that he posted a link that claims it knows definitively the actual answer.
No it doesn't. It lists several different theories of what happened.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Eddie Teach on November 13, 2012, 11:17:38 PM
Why don't you just ask grumbler?  :huh:
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: garbon on November 13, 2012, 11:20:13 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on November 13, 2012, 11:14:55 PM
Quote from: garbon on November 13, 2012, 11:11:27 PM
Except that he posted a link that claims it knows definitively the actual answer.
No it doesn't. It lists several different theories of what happened.

QuoteThis error has persisted in spite of the fact that the truth can be readily found in such common reference sources as...

It basically says all of those things happened.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Siege on November 14, 2012, 01:38:35 AM
I thought the Pyramids were landing pads for Gho'ul motherships.

Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Razgovory on November 14, 2012, 02:27:00 AM
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?

Someone made a sketch of the Sphinx nearly a 100 years before Napoleon showed up and it already lost it's nose.  The claim that some religious fanatic did it goes back to the 15h century I think, but it could just as easily be a legend like Napoleon's soldiers shooting off the nose. It seems like it would be hard for one guy to climb up there and hammer it off.  It probably just fell off.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Solmyr on November 14, 2012, 10:08:11 AM
It *was* the French...

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffiles.abovetopsecret.com%2Ffiles%2Fimg%2Fxg507d0e30.png&hash=e31d6573115f84c4ace2b627463fe92bf4299b54)
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Malthus on November 14, 2012, 10:49:53 AM
Quote from: HVC on November 13, 2012, 09:55:39 PM
Bugs single handedly defamed and libeled nimrod. That's a pretty impressive feat.

The great thing is "nimrod" sounds like an insult.  :lol:
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: Razgovory on November 14, 2012, 11:36:32 AM
Quote from: Solmyr on November 14, 2012, 10:08:11 AM
It *was* the French...

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffiles.abovetopsecret.com%2Ffiles%2Fimg%2Fxg507d0e30.png&hash=e31d6573115f84c4ace2b627463fe92bf4299b54)

It looks like they had a guy named "Meyer", pose for that statute.   I guess we know now what all the Israelites were doing in Egypt at the time.
Title: Re: Egypt takes Islamist threats to destroy Pyramids, Sphinx seriously
Post by: viper37 on November 14, 2012, 11:37:24 AM
I see I had the same thought as Solmyr :)