A new book examines the longstanding and often authorised theft of Egypt's heritage Judge at the appeal court, legal expert and author Ashraf El-Ashmawi has written a welcome new book, Legitimate Robberies, giving a detailed and crucial account of the illicit trade in Egypt's antiquities over the last 200 years. The book is published this week by Egyptian Lebanese Publishing House. Ashmawi has a thorough knowledge of the subject, having spent more than seven years as the legal consultant of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), now the Ministry of State for Antiquities. From this legal standpoint, Ashmawi witnessed and shared in the restitution of almost 5,000 artefacts that had been illegally looted and smuggled out of the country. Legitimate Robberies reveals the mysteries behind several antiquities thefts that took place after the end of the French Expedition to Egypt in 1802 up until today. Ashmawi also monitors certain social phenomena related to the theft of antiquities over the last 200 years through collating public viewpoints and official rules and regulations. The author reveals that some people do not regard the appropriation of antiquities is illegal, claiming the government does not provide them with an appropriate and basic standard of life. This and similar attitudes stem from low awareness of their cultural heritage, and perhaps partly from poverty. In Chapter 18, the author reveals that laws and regulations that controlled Egypt's antiquities in days past legitimised the antiquities trade, which is now regaarded as a major crime against Egypt's history and civilisation. Ashmawi writes in a gentle and easy style that belies the severity of his message, introducing readers to the stuffy language of antiquities laws in an understandable way. He gives accounts of several robbery attempts at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square in the last 70 years, as well as the stories behind several direct antiquities thefts from archaeological sites. He also provides valuable information on the system and regulations that the authorities use to restitute antiquities that had been stolen and illegally smuggled out of Egypt. The earliest account he provides is of the first ever restitution case in 1891 from a British collector. Means and efforts exerted by the MSA and Ashmawi himself to return smuggled objects to Egypt are also shown. Among these stories is the controversial departure from Egypt in 1913 of the exquisite painted bust of Nefertiti, now on display in the Neues Museum in Berlin. Legitimate Robberies contains more than 100 documents and dozens of photographs depicting artefacts that have been illegally smuggled out of Egypt and since returned. A long chapter deals with cases of theft in antiquity and the purposes behind them. Ancient Egyptians raided tombs to take revenge on the deceased or to take their funerary paraphernalia and installed it in another tombs as their own. Robbing temples was a serious crime that led to the death of the thief if he were caught. Antiquities thefts during the French expedition to Egypt and during the islamic period are also detailed, as are details of how and when the trade in Egyptian antiquities began and what it led to. While the Arabic edition hits bookstores this week, German-speaking readers will have to wait until October for their edition. An English edition is also planned. Ashmawi's first book The Era Of Hyenas, launched last year on the eve of the Egyptian revolution, has sold well. It reflects the recent political situation on another plane, while, as in George Orwell's Animal Farm, the author uses animals as protagonists, giving readers a chance to enter another world view within the text. It soon becomes apparent that all the plots the animals devise are aimed at ousting the Lion King who rules them, allowing hyenas to sit on the throne and rule the jungle.
