Thursday, June 7, 2001

Malaysian researchers should follow up on cave paintings

Thanks to the discoveries of French speleologist Luc-Henri Fage, in Kalimantan, the island of Borneo is now credited with hosting the earliest prehistoric cave paintings.

I would like to congratulate him and his team for this extraordinary contribution in the field of archaeology.

In doing so, I would also request him to look at these paintings from a special, peaceful Islamic perspective, and to accept participation from researchers in Malaysia and Indonesia, not by way of interference but as a measure of commitment to such initiatives.

The recurrent theme of the Fage caves is embedded in a human hand, stencilled on walls an ceilings.

The hand bears important dots, lines and patterns.

It will take time and eminent expertise to get down to the official meaning behind these drawings.

But the ball has been set rolling by Lafarge.

Both Malaysia and Indonesia should take notice, and consider this as a landmark in their archaeological position.

In time, these findings will lead to new archaeological truths and magnify the name of a partnerless God in the universe of early man.

Thursday, June 7, 2001

Malaysian researchers should follow up on cave paintings

Thanks to the discoveries of French speleologist Luc-Henri Fage, in Kalimantan, the island of Borneo is now credited with hosting the earliest prehistoric cave paintings.

I would like to congratulate him and his team for this extraordinary contribution in the field of archaeology.

In doing so, I would also request him to look at these paintings from a special, peaceful Islamic perspective, and to accept participation from researchers in Malaysia and Indonesia, not by way of interference but as a measure of commitment to such initiatives.

The recurrent theme of the Fage caves is embedded in a human hand, stencilled on walls an ceilings.

The hand bears important dots, lines and patterns.

It will take time and eminent expertise to get down to the official meaning behind these drawings.

But the ball has been set rolling by Lafarge.

Both Malaysia and Indonesia should take notice, and consider this as a landmark in their archaeological position.

In time, these findings will lead to new archaeological truths and magnify the name of a partnerless God in the universe of early man.