Jakarta, NU Online
The Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), condemned the destruction of saints' tombs in Egypt that has happened lately. In the midst of political crisis in the country, NU considered the destruction of the tombs could could be regarded as intolerable actions.
"This action is the same as that committed by the Wahhabis for damaging and destroying the graves of saints, the Prophet's disciples and willing to destroy the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in the early 20th century in Saudi Arabia," General Chairman of NU, KH Said Aqil Siroj said here on Tuesday (12/4).
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As reported, antiquities experts have recently warned that Egypt’s rich collection of artifacts and historic sites are at risk of being damaged or looted in the aftermath of the January 25 Revolution.
This would be an insufferable blow to a country that has for millennia been known for its ancient sites and ruins.
In the past six weeks, the authorities received numerous reports of continued looting at archaeological sites.
“There are many types of looting going on - the most dangerous of which is the type carried out by professionals and they know they can sell the antiquities for a lot of money,” Salima Ikram, an Egyptology professor at AUC, said.
“When they break in, they take pieces of painted walls and antiquities, sell them in the antiquities market, and this becomes very serious because the sites is not only destroyed but also objects are de-contextualized,” she said.
Ikram said that once stolen items are sold to private collectors, it is difficult to track them down and retrieve them.
This is an irreplaceable loss to the Egyptian state and world heritage,” she said.
The Egyptian Museum was broken into in late January, as pro-democracy activists defended Tahrir Square from pro-Mubarak mobs. While reports indicated that it suffered minor damage, several precious items were stolen.
Two mummies from the Pharaonic era were damaged during a robbery attempt in late January; looters damaged at least 70 objects including two statues from the King Tutankhamun collection.
By the end of January, looting was also reported in Qantara East in Sinai. However, in the absence of a security presence in Egypt, the number of looted sites increased dramatically.
Forty armed men attacked an antiquities warehouse in Kafr el-Sheikh, shooting at warehouse security and injuring several men while an armed gang of 60 thieves broke into two storehouses at the second pyramid of Khafre and stole several artifacts.
Zahi Hawass, the former minister of state for antiquities affairs, also reported that the tomb of Hetep-ka at Saqqara, the tomb of Petah-Shepses at Abu Sir and the tomb of a person called Em-pi at Giza were also damaged.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many sites of antiquity are inadequately protected, often with minimal security.
“The military and the police must protect the antiquities sites and warehouses. The thugs and looters are armed, while security personnel at the sites aren’t,” Fayza Heikal, an AUC professor of egyptology, said.
Since former President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, the Egyptian military has taken on the task of securing Egypt’s museums and main pyramids.
But experts warn that unless warehouses filled with artifacts and wares are not given additional security, the country is at risk of losing more of its riches.
The Ministry of Antiquities is waiting for investigators to examine sites that have been looted and draft a full of inventory.
“There is no count for what is missing yet, because the robberies are still going,” Ikram said.
In recent weeks, speculation was rife in some circles that Hawass, was responsible for some of the thefts.
In response to the accusations, Hawass wrote on his personal blog, “how could a man who has given his life to protecting and promoting antiquities, be accused later of stealing them?!”
He later resigned, adding that: “I cannot stay in Egypt and see antiquities being stolen when I cannot do anything to stop it!”
This situation is not for me! I have always fought to return stolen artifacts to Egypt,” he said.
On the other hand, Ikram said, “my personal opinion is that Hawass is not the type of person to rob, but I don’t know him personally.”
On March 6, Hawass responded to a question-and-answer interview on a blog associated with National Geographic that he had resigned because Egypt’s heritage was being inadequately protected. (Bil)
The Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), condemned the destruction of saints' tombs in Egypt that has happened lately. In the midst of political crisis in the country, NU considered the destruction of the tombs could could be regarded as intolerable actions.
"This action is the same as that committed by the Wahhabis for damaging and destroying the graves of saints, the Prophet's disciples and willing to destroy the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in the early 20th century in Saudi Arabia," General Chairman of NU, KH Said Aqil Siroj said here on Tuesday (12/4).
>
As reported, antiquities experts have recently warned that Egypt’s rich collection of artifacts and historic sites are at risk of being damaged or looted in the aftermath of the January 25 Revolution.
This would be an insufferable blow to a country that has for millennia been known for its ancient sites and ruins.
In the past six weeks, the authorities received numerous reports of continued looting at archaeological sites.
“There are many types of looting going on - the most dangerous of which is the type carried out by professionals and they know they can sell the antiquities for a lot of money,” Salima Ikram, an Egyptology professor at AUC, said.
“When they break in, they take pieces of painted walls and antiquities, sell them in the antiquities market, and this becomes very serious because the sites is not only destroyed but also objects are de-contextualized,” she said.
Ikram said that once stolen items are sold to private collectors, it is difficult to track them down and retrieve them.
This is an irreplaceable loss to the Egyptian state and world heritage,” she said.
The Egyptian Museum was broken into in late January, as pro-democracy activists defended Tahrir Square from pro-Mubarak mobs. While reports indicated that it suffered minor damage, several precious items were stolen.
Two mummies from the Pharaonic era were damaged during a robbery attempt in late January; looters damaged at least 70 objects including two statues from the King Tutankhamun collection.
By the end of January, looting was also reported in Qantara East in Sinai. However, in the absence of a security presence in Egypt, the number of looted sites increased dramatically.
Forty armed men attacked an antiquities warehouse in Kafr el-Sheikh, shooting at warehouse security and injuring several men while an armed gang of 60 thieves broke into two storehouses at the second pyramid of Khafre and stole several artifacts.
Zahi Hawass, the former minister of state for antiquities affairs, also reported that the tomb of Hetep-ka at Saqqara, the tomb of Petah-Shepses at Abu Sir and the tomb of a person called Em-pi at Giza were also damaged.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many sites of antiquity are inadequately protected, often with minimal security.
“The military and the police must protect the antiquities sites and warehouses. The thugs and looters are armed, while security personnel at the sites aren’t,” Fayza Heikal, an AUC professor of egyptology, said.
Since former President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, the Egyptian military has taken on the task of securing Egypt’s museums and main pyramids.
But experts warn that unless warehouses filled with artifacts and wares are not given additional security, the country is at risk of losing more of its riches.
The Ministry of Antiquities is waiting for investigators to examine sites that have been looted and draft a full of inventory.
“There is no count for what is missing yet, because the robberies are still going,” Ikram said.
In recent weeks, speculation was rife in some circles that Hawass, was responsible for some of the thefts.
In response to the accusations, Hawass wrote on his personal blog, “how could a man who has given his life to protecting and promoting antiquities, be accused later of stealing them?!”
He later resigned, adding that: “I cannot stay in Egypt and see antiquities being stolen when I cannot do anything to stop it!”
This situation is not for me! I have always fought to return stolen artifacts to Egypt,” he said.
On the other hand, Ikram said, “my personal opinion is that Hawass is not the type of person to rob, but I don’t know him personally.”
On March 6, Hawass responded to a question-and-answer interview on a blog associated with National Geographic that he had resigned because Egypt’s heritage was being inadequately protected. (Bil)
