More re Egypt's response to the New 7 Wonders

http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=7169

"No contest: The Pyramids of Giza are one of the great wonders of the world. That’s the view of both Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni and Supreme Council of Antiquities head Zahi Hawass, who have rejected the notion of the New7Wonders Foundation’s voting campaign to determine the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The Giza monuments are one of 21 finalists announced in June 2006; the seven with the most votes will be crowned the wonders later this year. In a media blitz, the foundation exhorts, 'People of Egypt, it is now your turn to make a difference! Support the Pyramids, the only remaining Ancient Wonder, to become one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.'
The campaign is billed by organizers as “a cultural initiative to recognize, preserve and promote our common global cultural heritage.”
Hosni was unimpressed, pointing out to the press last month that the Pyramids are the most important and oldest wonders in the world — the only wonder of the ancient world still standing, in fact. He alleged the voting campaign is just a ruse to attract media attention by the New7Wonders founder, Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber.
It’s attracting not just attention, but a whole lot of money. The New7Wonders campaign encourages people to vote for their favorite wonders by SMS, online, mobile phone or landline, with vote prices ranging from LE 3 per SMS vote all the way up to $2 per online vote. . . . Half the profits from the campaign will be earmarked for global monument preservation, the foundation claims. Topping its to-do list is rebuilding the 53-meter tall Bamiyan Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban in Afghanistan for an estimated $50 million.
Hawass, who has never been shy about marketing Egypt’s monuments, took offense at the popularity contest approach. The nation’s top archeologist noted that the process of choosing new world wonders is not an official one and has no scientific importance or value. Hawass refused to meet with the members of the foundation, who came to Egypt in January on a world tour to promote the 21 potential new seven wonders — and the voting campaign, of course."

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