Egypt riots threaten cultural sites as Cairo library goes up in flame[s]

Ha'aretz ^ | Monday, December 19, 2011 | Haaretz, AP

[SunkenCiv]

Experts say among the manuscripts lost are maps of Napoleon's conquest of Egypt in 1798, as well as a map used in the 1989 Israeli withdrawal from Taba.

Hundreds of rare manuscripts and maps, including the maps used in 1989 Israeli withdrawal from Taba, were destroyed this week, as rioters set fire to a library in the Cairo's Scientific Complex in the fourth day of renewed clashes between protesters and security forces...

Mamdouh al-Masry, an Egyptian archaeology professor also speaking with Al-Arabiya said the country's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces was responsible for the destruction, criticizing for failing to apprehend those responsible.

"How can the SCAF allow such farce to continue until the library is consumed by the flames? How come they did not arrest the saboteurs right away?" Masry said.

Maj. Gen. Adel Emara, a member of the council that took power after Hosni Mubarak's February ouster in a popular uprising, defended the use of force against protesters.

"There is a methodical and premeditated plot to topple the state, but Egypt will not fall," said Emara. "The media is helping sabotage the state. This is certain," he added.

[null and void]

Good riddance. I never liked that sanctimonious smeghead.

[ladyvet]

Will do. I couldn’t stand Hawass either but he did have a passion for his job....and other peoples work that he claimed as his own.

Many sites that have storehouses were looted. According to guys on the ground the guards would just leave when they saw the mob come. Can’t say I blame them. Only about half the items stolen from the Cairo Museum during the first protest’s have been found.

This information is from the guys that work over there. It’s hard to read them sometimes since they all seem to be a bunch of lib’s, LOL!

[Sherman Logan]

Up capturing a city, he was asked what to do with its inhabitants, some Mulsims, some infidels, and he said - wait for it - kill them all, let Allah sort them out.

Would like to see a reference on that one. Omar was in general a fairly human guy as caliphs went.

OTOH, there is a well-attested story of the Crusade against the Cathars of southern France.

"The Béziers army attempted a sortie but was quickly defeated, then pursued by the crusaders back through the gates and into the city. Arnaud, the Cistercian abbot-commander, is supposed to have been asked how to tell Cathars from Catholics. His reply, recalled by Caesar of Heisterbach, a fellow Cistercian, thirty years later was "Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius."—"Kill them all, the Lord will recognise His own."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharism

[LibLieSlayer]

islam is evil as are its deeds.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

That is so sad... thanks and please keep me informed.

LLS

[BenLurkin]

Failure to protect Egyptian historic sites could trigger foreign intervention,

WTF?

[Scoutmaster]

I almost believe in the interest of civilization and history, it's about time to use multinational military force to claim all antiquities from Egypt and put them somewhere safe. The destruction of some of the finest treasures from the Tomb of Tutankhamen was enough for me.

They don't belong to Egypt. They belong to the world. Heck Egypt would even have them if it hadn't been for Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon (and Egypt partially reneging on Carnarvon's license).

[PIF]

Historic scientific documents...we don’t need no stinkin’ historical scientific documents!

—

Or stinkin' Pyramids, musty mummies, pointy obelisks, godless Spinx's either ...

[MomofMarine]

This breaks my heart. It is probably only a matter of time until they destroy all the museums, ancient temples, tombs, pyramids, etc. as they did in Afghanistan. When this whole mess started in Tahrir Square, they did destroy some antiquities at the Cairo National Museum. What a stupid, evil bunch of imbeciles!

[Fiji Hill]

...The mindset that tries to eradicate the past, or burn books, or outlaw dance and non-religous music is to be feared. Allah extracts an enormous cultural price from his votaries.

One of the reasons that Islamists react so violently against Western culture is the seductiveness of its music.

Here's a song for all you Islamists out there. After you've listened to it, go out and riot!

Mecca--Gene Pitney

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

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The Vanished Library by Luciano Canfora tr by Martin Ryle

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[Scoutmaster]

When this whole mess started in Tahrir Square, they did destroy some antiquities at the Cairo National Museum.

Of course, the official party line was that none of the Tutankhamen treasures were destroyed, notwithstanding the fact that the video showed that the delicate and famous wooden statue of Tutankhamen standing in the boat, one of the finest statues removed by Carter, was in several pieces on the floor. Other famous treasures were clearly observed in pieces on the floor.

But, no. Move along. Nothing to see here. Nothing damaged.

Really? This was destroyed:

[Jimmy Valentine]

Turkey under "Kemalism" did very well,although they are sliding backwards with Erdogan.

Tunisia had made strong progress too. If they both fall backward the whole middle east is lost to modernity.