Digging Up the Saudi Past: Some Would Rather Not

08-30-2009 • NY Times

Much of the world knows Petra, the ancient ruin in modern-day Jordan that is celebrated in poetry as ''the rose-red city, 'half as old as time,''' and which provided the climactic backdrop for ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.''

But far fewer know Madain Saleh, a similarly spectacular treasure built by the same civilization, the Nabateans.

That's because it's in Saudi Arabia, where conservatives are deeply hostile to pagan, Jewish and Christian sites that predate the founding of Islam in the 7th century.

1 Comments in Response to Digging Up the Saudi Past: Some Would Rather Not

Comment by TheRockster

Entered on: 8/31/2009 10:22:00 AM

Religious fanatics will always dishonor their religions. They are like rowdy sports fans rather than real adherents to their prophets. These people, by their actions, are saying that Islam is a weak religion, one that can't stand the truth. By trying to hide the past, they show their lack of real faith. Any religion or creed that can't stand the truth is a false one.

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