Will Fatwa Destroy Egypt’s Pagan Heritage?
In a controversial move Egypt’s Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa has issued an edict (fatwa) which condemns the work of sculptors and declares un-Islamic the display of statues in homes. Many in Egypt are concerned that this fatwa will lead to escalation, and will result in the destruction of ancient and pharaonic statues in public tourist spots.
Statue at Karnak temple in Luxor (ancient Thebes).
“We don’t rule out that someone will enter the Karnak temple in Luxor or any other pharaonic temple and blow it up on the basis of the fatwa,” – Gamal al-Ghitani, Akhbar al-Adab magazine
Some are comparing this edict as one similar to edicts that lead to the destruction of ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan. This situation could create a culture war within Egypt, pitting intellectuals and artisans against the Islamic power structure in the country. With a huge amount of Egypt’s revenue depending on tourist dollars and its fledgling sculpture business it remains to be seen how far this and other edicts will go. While most edicts in Egypt are taken very seriously, some like the fatwa against beauty pageants remain unenforced and mostly ignored. We can only wait and see if the forces of reason will win the day on this issue.
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