Posted on 12/29/2005 2:38:03 AM PST by HAL9000
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysian authorities suffered a setback Wednesday in their plan to send a 35-member team to drape Egypt's Great Pyramid at Giza with the flags of the world's 57 Muslim countries.The chairman of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, the body responsible for the Giza site, said in Cairo that he would not allow it to be draped.
"This cannot take place," chairman Zahi Hawass said. "The pyramid cannot be draped by any person in this world. Nobody is allowed to do this."
Malaysia's Defense Minister Najib Razak announced the project during a ceremony Tuesday, when he presented a Malaysian flag to the team's leaders.
Najib said the expedition, which had been planned for May 18, is a "commendable effort," and comes in response to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's call to raise Malaysia's profile in the world.
The flag-draping event, sponsored by Malaysia's Youth and Sports Ministry and the Selangor state government, had been slated to be broadcast live on a Malaysian television channel.
But Hawass ruled out giving permission to the so-called Malaysian Peace Mission team for the project -- which would involve climbing the 4,600-year-old World Heritage site.
"Why should I allow them to drape it?" Hawass said. "If they want to make propaganda, let them do it somewhere else. They can do it in any other place in Cairo."
Hawass said he had rejected other requests to exploit the Great Pyramid in some way. He did not give details.
The Great Pyramid at Giza was built by the Pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops, with 3 million stone blocks weighing 2.5 tons each, without any cementing material. It is the height of a modern day 40-story building.
Malaysia's Star newspaper said the team wanted to drape the pyramid with the flags of the 57 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which Malaysia currently chairs.
The Malaysian team had also hoped to visit several mosques and historical places in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Star said.
""Why should I allow them to drape it?" Hawass said. "If they want to make propaganda, let them do it somewhere else. They can do it in any other place in Cairo." "
Candid comments like this in print are always refreshing....
Egypt is alot older than Islam. And its culture is much more interesting and valuable. Thankfully there's at least one Egyptian who appreciates the priceless value of his heritage.
Thankyou, Zahi Hawass. Well done, mate!
Are the muzzies really trying to claim that the pyramid is another one of their holy places? Maybe mohammds great ancestors spit near there.
Egypt was a great civilization before the death grip of Islam came along and all progress ceased.
Good to see that they're still doing their jobs.
It's a good thing that Malaysia has no other problems to worry about and its politicians have such mega amounts of free time that they can sit around dreaming up schemes to hang flags on faraway piles of stone. What a lucky country Malaysia is.
I wonder why the muzzies havn't torn it down....yet.
Good for this man. Why did the Malaysians think some other country would let them use its most famous landmark to raise Malaysia's profile? How silly!
"Malaysian plan to cover Great Pyramid with Muslim nation flags hits snag"
- - and why only flags of Muslim nations?
Since when were the pagan pharaohs Muslims?
Oh yeah, that's right, when they enslaved the Hebrews. Never mind.
Funny thing is, the Talinanm ran a muslim nation. If the Great Pyramid was in Afghanistan, they would've blown it up.
How can some muslim sects embrace pre-muslim monuments and others can't?
Then again, muslim Egypt didn't really care about its antiquities before French archaeologists in Napoleon's train explained that it was all quite important. Up to then, the lcoals were using dessicated mummies for kindling, taking apart ancient sites to re-use the stone for new buildings, and looting every crypt they could access.
In general I'm not a big fan of Dr. Hawass but I gotto give him props for this!
It would hurt the big money maker, American tourist.
Well, ...does this mean my idea to drape the pyramids in bacon won't go over very well with the local authorities???...sigh
Shhhh, ... you might wake up the Rosicrucians..
"Najib said the expedition, which had been planned for May 18, is a "commendable effort," and comes in response to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's call to raise Malaysia's profile in the world."
Maybe helping Pakistan and fellow Islamists recover from the earthquake would be a better road to high profile world recognition.
Naw.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.