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Malaysia claims Egyptâs pyramid for Muslims
A team of 35 Malaysians will try to drape Egypt's great pyramid at Giza with the flags of the world's 57 Muslim countries, an official said in a televised public ceremony.Malaysia's Defense Minister Najib Razak announced the project during a ceremony Tuesday, when he presented a Malaysian flag to the team's leaders. Najib said the expedition, planned for May 18, is a"commendable effort," and comes in response to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's call to raise Malaysia's profile in the world. The flag-draping event, sponsored by Malaysia's Youth and Sports Ministry and the Selangor state government, is slated to be broadcast live on a Malaysian television channel. It was not clear if Egypt's government or antiquities department, which is responsible for the Giza site, have given permission to the so-called Malaysian peace mission team for the project - which would involve climbing the 4,600-year-old world heritage site. Malaysia, one of South-East Asia's most developed nations, is a moderate Muslim country. It wasn't immediately clear, from Najib's remarks or news reports, why an Egyptian pyramid - which predates Islam by thousands of years - was chosen for the project. Sports ministry and Selangor government officials were not immediately available for comment. The great pyramid at Giza was built by the pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops, with 3 million stone blocks weighing 2.5 tons each, without any cementing material. Posted by: Sholuting Jerong9172 2005-12-30 |
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