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Egyptian security authorities on Tuesday arrested Ahmed al-Smalousi, who appeared in a viral video reciting verses from the Quran inside the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The arrest followed the circulation of a video on social media in which a young man appears standing before several ancient Egyptian statues inside the museum, reciting Quranic verses and commenting on what he described as the “paganism and disbelief” of the Pharaohs.
A video showing a young man reciting verses from the Quran inside the Grand Egyptian Museum has sparked wide debate on social media.
The video shows a blogger reading verses from Surah Ghafir, which tell part of the story of Pharaoh and the Prophet Moses (pbuh), while standing in the Grand Hall and reciting loudly as several visitors film him on their phones.
The blogger is known for posting videos of himself reciting the Quran in various public places, such as streets and open areas. Some social media users said the museum was not an appropriate place for reciting the Quran or “taking a shot just to go viral,” as some described it.
Egypt inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum, the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization, on Nov. 1. It opened to the public on Nov. 4 and saw heavy turnout on Friday, prompting management to close ticket sales and online reservations after reaching full capacity.
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