Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass called for the closure of an English museum that displayed ancient Egyptian skulls for sale, stating that this action is "unethical." Hawass said in television statements that "offering ancient Egyptian skulls for sale is an unethical, disrespectful, and ugly act," noting that "mummies are being sold in public auctions, which is a strange behavior." He emphasized that he is "happy with the comments made by an English MP who stated that these are colonial actions."
It has been announced that 18 ancient Egyptian skulls will be sold in a public auction as part of a museum in London, owned by a former English military officer and archaeologist. Reports suggest that this auction has been halted, although Zahi did not mention the name of the museum he urged to close.
He added that "European museums and those in Western countries must stop these colonial actions." He pointed out that "Egyptian antiquities were taken during the French and English colonial periods and are still present in European museums," and that European and American museums continue to engage in colonial activities by "buying stolen artifacts."
The archaeologist noted that "in the 16th and 18th centuries, England and France sent pirates to Luxor, coming from Egypt at that time with thousands of mummies that were used in medical materials," affirming that "there is no museum in America, Britain, or France that does not have an Egyptian mummy, and all these mummies are considered not their property."
He confirmed that "a wealthy Arab acquired an Egyptian statue through an English auction."
