Rael Supports Egypt in Its Quest to Recover Ancient Treasures

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Apr 09, 2010, 06:38 ET

LAS VEGAS, April 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rael, leader of the Raelian Movement, today expressed his support for Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, which has organized a two-day, international conference in Cairo to discuss how to recover ancient treasures that were stolen or looted from their native lands. More than 20 countries are participating.

Commenting on what he called "this wonderful union of all countries victimized by colonialist pillaging," Rael declared that all items now in occidental museums as a result of colonialism must be returned to their original countries.

He added that those presently holding the items should also have to pay "huge damages, equal to all money collected by these museums as a result of the crimes of pillaging that took place over the centuries."

Rael went on to explain that without the fruits of those crimes, the occidental museums would be half empty, and that if the items were to be returned, "people who want to see these non-occidental marvels would then have to travel to the items' countries of origin, which would help those economies."

The conference participants have drawn up a wish list of high-profile items they want repatriated from Western museums.

But Rael noted that a number of well-known objects are missing from the list, including the famous obelisk of Luxor now located in Paris.

"France should return it to Egypt because it has nothing to do with Paris and is thus an obsolete symbol of colonialism that should be placed back in front of the Luxor Temple," he said. "Although it was given to the French by a self-proclaimed king supported by France, it belongs to the Egyptian people."

The Raelian philosophy supports the goal of full decolonialization in all countries victimized by colonialism. Raelians are leading many such campaigns, especially in Kama (the real name of Africa before it was renamed by the colonialists), to help people reclaim their identities and belongings.

SOURCE Raelian Movement