Uproar after scholar bans excavation of Egyptian mummies
As Egypt carries out intensive excavation works, leading to major discoveries in recent months, an Egyptian Al-Azhar scholar stirred a heated debate after stating that displaying mummies is against Islam.
Egyptian scholar Ahmed Karima recently sparked heated controversy after he banned the excavation of tombs of ancient Egyptians at a time when Egypt is struggling to revive its vital tourism industry from the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Karima, a professor of comparative jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, said the exhumation of graves is prohibited under Islamic teachings. “Extracting the bodies of the ancient Pharaohs and putting them on display in return for dollars from visitors is forbidden,” Karima said in televised statements Jan. 19 on state-run television.
Karima said digging up the graves violates the dignity of the dead and the Islamic religion forbids their desecration. “Bodies of the dead cannot be exhumed unless for the purpose of scientific search,” the scholar said.
“The grave is a blessing from God to house the human being after his demise,” he added.
