CAIRO: Minister of Culture Emad Abou Ghazi resigned Monday "in protest at the government’s handling of the recent events in Tahrir Square," he told state news agency MENA.
“I have resigned and will not take it back. It is true my decision is late, but I won’t reconsider,” Abou Ghazi told state-owned Al-Ahram Online.
Over 23 people were killed and 1,750 injured in the clashes that started on Saturday. The numbers were increasing throughout the day.
Abou Ghazi was secretary general of the Supreme Council of Culture before his appointment in Prime Minister’s Essam Sharaf’s interim government.
Political analyst Nabil Abdel Fattah, from Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, lauded Abou Ghazi’s decision.
“Resigning to protest against a massacre that is taking place by the security forces and military police is a strong, brave and patriotic position by Abou Ghazi which shows that his true loyalty lies with the national powers,” he said.
Over the past few months ministers said they had officially submitted their resignation but stayed in their posts after the ruling military council rejected their resignation.
“[Abou Ghazi’s] resignation is an expression of his political responsibility and his disapproval of the authoritarians still in power and is proof that a passive government is politically, ethically and criminally responsible for the ongoing genocide of the young revolutionaries,” Abdel Fattah explained.
