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September 17, 2005

Who owns the Taj?

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Controversy surrounds the Taj Mahal.  This recent dispute pitted a Muslim trust which claims Islamic ownership of the great Mogul monument against the Indian government, which asserts it to be national property. Now, India's archaelology agency joins the fray.  Of course, the Muslim claimants demand exclusive management of the Taj, rejecting government administration (since 1920) of the historic site, all the while being a minority status amongst the Indian population. 
 
If the Indian government does eventually cave in to Muslim demands one must wonder if the Taj will fall victim to blatant destruction by its Muslim managers as did the Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban and more recently, the systematic destruction by its Saudi masters of historic Mecca, the cradle of Islam and its most holiest city?
 
Or will it fall, suffering disrepair and neglect like Egypt's Sphinx and pyramids?  They comprise one of mankind's greatest achievements, and kindled European interest in preservation only after Napoleon invaded the area. They are now kept intact mainly because they draw so many tourism euros and dollars. 
 
Will a terrorist attack against the Taj ebb the flow of that tourist dollar just as the Luxor attacks devastated Egyptian tourism?  What is the saying?  "A person's past behavior is a good indicator of future behavior" 
 
Eric Schwappach   8 13 05