AMUSEMENT PARK OR SHRINE?: THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT SET TO BUILD 30$ MILLION DOLLAR THEME PARK
Naeem- AFP Getty image
The Pakistani government has announced plans to build a 30$ million dollar theme park on the grounds of what once was Osama Bin Laden's compound. The location, which is surrounded by the Himalaya mountains, has always been somewhat of a tourist destination, due to its beautiful scenery.
Indeed the 50 acre site would include a zoo, the old asian mainstay, restaurants, water sports and a miniature golf park. Also rock climbing and paragliding will be offered.
The officials in the region have asserted that the park is a project that intends to better the image of the location, which was marred by the Bin Laden raid, according to their declarations.
The Tourism minister also said the project has a completion date of 2018, tentatively, with the work beginning in earnest in the early Spring.
It seems that the words of the minister might ring true to most, since the authorities have since demolished the compound in which the raid took place.
Although it is true that tourists have always come to the place, and Abbotabad has always been somewhat of a jewel in Pakistan's crown, it remains that the specter of a tourism for worship could ensue, rendering the park exactly what it is not meant to be, a shrine to the now defunct Al Qaeda leader.
It also remains to be seen whether the Pakistani government will monitor the activities of the tourists once they start visiting the amusement park. Indeed the suggestion of creating a small green park on the site of the demolished compound was struck down immediately since the authorities feared it would become "Osama Park".
Source: NBC News 2.4.13
Photo: Getty Images
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