Short survey - Should the retrieval of Egyptian antiquities be a government priority?

Al Masry Al Youm (Heba Helmy)

After the theft last month of Van Gogh’s famous "Poppy Flowers" painting--valued at US$55 million--from Cairo's Mahmoud Khalil Museum, concerns have arisen about the relative safety of the country’s precious artworks and antiquities. Al-Masry Al-Youm hit the streets of the capital to ask: Should the retrieval of Egyptian antiquities be a government priority?

Saad Razaq, lawyer: "Reclaiming antiquities is a very important step, which should have been taken years ago. Our monuments constitute our heritage, so the government should exert more effort to protect them. I feel sorry when I travel abroad and see how our monuments are appreciated by foreigners, while here in Egypt we don’t pay much attention to their historical value."