Why Does This Leader Want to Destroy Egypt's Sphinx?

Is an Egyptian landmark at risk for destruction? If a certain Muslim jihadist leader has his way, that just might be the case.

The Inquisitr reports that Egyptian Salafist Murgan Salem al-Gohary is calling for the destruction of the The Sphinx, as well as the Giza pyramids.

Gohary stated in a television interview, “The idols and statues 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." He continued by adding, “God ordered Prophet Mohamed to destroy idols. When I was with the Taliban we destroyed the statue of Buddha, something the government failed to do.”

Here's more background on Gohary, via The Blaze:

“Gohary, 50, is well-known in Egypt for his advocacy of violence. He was sentenced twice under former President Hosni Mubarak, one of the two sentences being life imprisonment. He subsequently fled Egypt to Afghanistan, where he was badly injured in the American invasion. In 2007, he traveled from Pakistan to Syria, which then handed him over to Egypt. After Mubarak’s fall in early 2011, he was released from prison by a judicial ruling."

The Egyptian Interior Ministry are said to be taking these threats very seriously, with Egyptian officials reportedly, “taking the necessary precautions to prevent violations of the law or any abuses of anything in the public domain or archaeological treasures including the pyramids.”

We sure hope this doesn't end bad. Visiting the Sphinx is definitely on our bucket list.