Post date: Nov 18, 2012 1:30:50 PM
A radical Egyptian Salafist stirs controversy by calling for the demolition of Egypt's ancient pyramids and Sphinx, saying they are idolatrous and therefore go against Islam
GIZA, EGYPT (REUTERS) - A call for the pyramids and sphinx to be destroyed has stirred controversy in Egypt.
Murgan Salem el-Gohary is a well-known ultra conservative 'Salafi' who fought inAfghanistan. He made the comments on the popular talk show "10 at night" last week.
The rising power of Islamists in Egypt after the fall of President Mubarak has led to fears that they could impose a conservative agenda on society and restrict civil liberties.Women's rights advocates and minorities have expressed particular concern about the agenda of orthodox 'Salafist' groups, who, along with the Muslim Brotherhood, swept parliamentary elections in 2011.
Egypt's President, Mohamed Mursi, was a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood until his election.
On Dream TV's "10 at night" programme, host Wael El-Ebrashy asked al-Gohary if he really wanted to see Egypt's pharaonic heritage destroyed.
"Any statues or idols that were worshipped, or where there is a fear that they could be worshipped in the future, even if they are worshipped by just one person in the world, must be destroyed. Either by us or by someone else. We are required to destroyed them," said el-Gohary, who claims to have taken part in the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001, where he fought with the Taliban after being exiled during the Mubarak era.
But there was little support for El-Gohary's viewpoint on the streets of Cairo.
One man said the whole issue was a distraction from the enormous challenges facing the country.
"The issue of destroying the pyramids is an unproductive debate. Let them talk instead about the poor, or about the slums. Let them look instead to the realities of society and the things we need to develop. But with regards to the pyramids, the pyramids are tombs for the pharaohs. And even in Islam, we are not allowed to touch graves. And if the issue is whether people are worshipping the pyramids, I have to ask, does anyone actually worship the pyramids?"
Another man said that self-professed jihadists like el-Gohary did not understand how to operate within society.
"These are people who don't belong to any school of thought or culture. Rather they are people who are nonsensical, who came out from under a rock. They need to find a balance in the way they deal with society, with regards to their ideas and the culture of how you behave in society. Because they are missing that ability due to the fact they were part of secret organisations that operated behind the scenes."
Egypt's pharaonic heritage is not only a source of immense national pride for most Egyptians, but also a source of income from the millions of tourists who visit the country every year.
"Honestly, this is our civilisation, and it is not acceptable for anyone to destroy their country's civilisation or their own history. And those who have no history have no future," said another man on the streets of Cairo.
Egyptians working in the tourism industry have expressed fears that Islamist parties will put in place restrictions on foreign tourists that will scare them away, by, for example banning alcohol or introducing dress codes on beaches.
But mainstream Islamist parties like the Muslim Brotherhood have denied any intention to do so.
Salafist parties have distanced themselves from the suggestions of some of their members that Egypt's antiquities should either be covered or destroyed.
But "10 at night" host Wael El-Ebrashy said there was a danger that others might act on the suggestions of men like el-Gohary.
"The interest of the international media in this issue means that Egypt is in danger. And these edicts are made in the name of Islam and therefore there may be those who want to carry them out. And for this reason the security services have increased their presence around the pyramids and the Sphinx because some people could take these edicts and carry them out."
Egypt's Salafist parties have risen to prominence in the wake of the fall of Mubarak, whose regime fought a bloody conflict with armed Islamist groups in the 1990s.
Many of those who took up arms both in Egypt and outside in the name of religion are now part of Egypt's new political landscape.
But the more radical views of el-Gohary have not been adopted by mainstream Salafist parties.
And Mohamed Hamdi, a host on the conservative religious channel El-Nas, said that even though he does not support destruction, agreements reached in the Islamic community have to be obeyed.
"I do not agree with the destruction of anything. But I want to reconfirm one more time, that if the Islamic community agrees on something specific or believes that something is harmful, or if it believes that it should be absent - even in Islamic history people have talked about the artifacts of the Prophet and his companions, unfortunately as we see amongst the Sufis - and they demand that this should be destroyed, then it should be destroyed. If anything is going to negatively influence my beliefs, then my beliefs are more important than anything else."
As Egypt continues its transition to democracy, many Egyptians are still growing accustomed to the kind of unbridled debate over political and social issues that was impossible under Mubarak.
But the suggestion that the country's prized heritage should be destroyed seems to be out of bounds for even the most open minded.
And the issue has rekindled fears that radicals may seize control of the agenda.