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Egypt: Salafis Cover Up Alexandria Mermaid Statue

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Egypt, Arts & Culture, History, Religion

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011 [1].

Salafis [2] have covered up a mermaid statue in Alexandria, Egypt, drawing ridicule and criticism from netizens. Tweeps report that the statue was covered up by the Al Noor Salafi party, which was holding a gathering nearby.

Farah Saafan explains:

@FarahSaafan [3]: Salafis had a meeting close to a mermaid statue in Alexandria.. Ended up covering the poor mermaid during the gathering

EngyG quips:

@EngyG [4]: Covering a mermaid statue in Alexandria is definitely going to get us all to heaven. Can't wait. #Egypt #Alexandria #Salafis

RachidH reacts:

@RachidH [5]: Forward to the 7th century

And Mostafa Hussein is in disbelief and needs to see the deed with his own eyes:

@mosftasa [6]: Do we have a statue of a mermaid in Alexandria? AND someone covered it with a Niqab? Links and photos please.

Al Masry Al Youm newspaper provides the evidence in a photograph it posted on Twitter [7].

The covered and uncovered mermaid. Posted on Twitter by Al Masri Al Youm [7]

The covered and uncovered mermaid. Posted on Twitter by Al Masri Al Youm

Four Corners Media reminds us that such incidents are only too common, sharing an example from Iraq:

@FourCM [8]: @JustAmira @nfm same happened in Nasiriyah in 2004, Sumerian female statues defaced for exposed breasts

The reaction of many Salafis to the our collective human heritage, culture and the arts, is a stark reminder of how the Taliban destroyed ancient Buddha statues [9] in Afghanistan in 2001.

This post is part of our special coverage Egypt Revolution 2011 [1].