Sphinx Destruction Urged By Jihadist Leader

An Egyptian Jihadist leader with Taliban links is calling for the destruction of the Sphinx under the pretext that Islam prohibits idols.

The Great Sphinx of Giza

In his interview on the Dream TV2 channel over the weekend, Murgan Salem al-Gohary said that the Great Sphinx as well as the Great Pyramids of Giza are "idolatrous" and must be destroyed.

"The idols and statutes that fill Egypt must be destroyed. Muslims are tasked with applying the teachings of Islam and removing these idols, just like we did in Afghanistan when we smashed the Buddha statues," Gohary said in a Saturday night television interview.

Officials are reportedly taking the threats seriously and have "taken the necessary precautions to prevent violations of the law or any abuses of anything in the public domain or archaeological treasures including the pyramids," the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper said.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Coalition to Support Tourism fears that the call for the Sphinx destruction would harm the country’s tourism industry after the international media picked up on the story.