CAIRO: Qena’s new governor reportedly considered submitting his resignation on Tuesday after protests against his appointment entered their fifth day.
Thousands have been protesting since Friday in the Upper Egyptian governorate against the appointment of Adel Shehata Mikhael, with some citing his career as a policeman and others objecting to him being Christian.
A source close to cabinet told Daily News Egypt that the issue caused a rift between ministers, with some supporting the removal of Mikhael to quell the protests while others were refusing the removal in order to protect the civil identity of the state. The latter group said another crisis might spring up if Mikhael was removed because of his religion. The source didn’t want their name mentioned because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
But deputy Prime Minister Yehia El-Gamal said on Tuesday the governor won’t resign, in a report published on the website of state-run Al-Ahram in the evening.
Protesters announced earlier on Tuesday that they wanted a civilian Muslim governor after meeting Minister of Local Development Mohsen El-Nomany.
Protesters said they won’t end the sit-in until the council of ministers announces the removal of Mikhael on state-TV in an official statement.
El-Nomany and Minister of Interior Mansour El-Essawy had arrived in Qena Monday evening to meet protesters and local leaders. General Mohsen El-Shazly, the military ruler of Southern Egypt, also attended the meetings.
A number of those who attended told DNE over the phone that a delegation of protesters told El-Nomany that they won’t end the sit in. They said they were not affiliated with any religious groups.
The protesters told the minister that they didn’t want a Christian governor because their previous experience with General Magdy Ayoub — the former governor who was also Christian — proved his failure in running the governorate and dealing with sectarian issues.
Seventeen rights groups had submitted a memo to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the cabinet calling for putting those who fueled the protests on trial. The rights groups accused Islamist, Salafi and militant religious groups of inciting the protests.
“The current events in Qena, which are led by political Islamist groups, Salafis and Jihadists, are worrying to the signatory organizations and all citizens concerned about this nation’s unity and need to solidify the principle of equality between citizens in rights and obligations,” the memo read.
The rights groups, which include the Cairo Center for Human Rights Studies, the Hisham Mubarak Law Center and the Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination, warned against turning Qena into an Islamic Emirate.
They cited unconfirmed reports about hijacking roads leading to the governorate, Salafis shutting down schools, getting women to leave microbuses to enforce gender segregation and preventing Christians from celebrating Palm Sunday.
The memo called for appointing a civilian governor, regardless of religion.
Qena-based Christian activist Hala El-Masry told DNE that “Christians were living in a state of panic and can’t leave their homes. What’s happening now is a reverse of course from the idea of a civil state. It’s frightening, not just for Christians but Muslims too.”
According to eyewitnesses, protesters first objected against the governor’s previous career in the police force, but were later joined by groups that objected to the fact that he is Christian.
