CAIRO: Egypt’s Prime Minister apologized to a priest who was forced to take off his robes by a Cairo hotel security, saying the ministry of tourism is investigating the incident, the priest said.
“I strongly denounce the offensive search to which Father Boules Ewida was subjected at one of Cairo’s hotels,” Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said in a statement on Friday.
“He’s one of the main symbols that participated in the January 25 uprising,” he said, adding that he also refuses prejudice against religious symbols. “Egypt is built on the principal of national unity and respect of the other.”
“What happened is an individual mistake by the hotel security,” the premier said.
Tens of Copts silently protested Thursday holding candles in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, which had earlier asked Father Ewida of the Virgin Mary Church in Zahraa to take off his robes at the hotel’s entrance. He was there to attend an iftar.
Maspero Coptic Youth Union called for the protest. Some of the participants criticized Ewida’s acceptance to be treated this way, describing it as an insult to all religious figures, both Muslim and Copt.
Protesters held up candles and banners showing their anger at the hotel saying "No to the insult of religious figures", and "We want an official apology from the hotel’s administration".
The protest was surrounded by a limited number of police who stood near the protesters.
Coordinator of Maspero Coptic Youth Union Ramy Kamel told Daily News Egypt that his movement decided to make it a silent protest without loud chants in respect for the feelings of fasting Muslims in Ramadan.
The union urged the hotel’s administration to investigate the incident, hold those involved accountable, and officially apologize to Bishop Ewida.
"It is an unfortunate incident that no one, whether Muslim or Copt, will ever accept," said Kamel.
Ewida told DNE that while entering the hotel to attend a national unity iftar, he was asked to take off his robes because the metal detector alarm went off.
"I took out the mobile, the keys and other private belongings, but the alarm did not stop, so I was requested to take off my robes and I did not want to escalate the situation," Ewida said. "It was very insulting."
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