EGYPT: Muslims protest Coptic Christian governor in Qena

Thousands of mostly Muslim protesters swelled through the streets of the Egyptian city of Qena on Friday to demonstrate against the recent appointment of a new Coptic Christian governor.

Crowds gathered Immediately after prayers outside the city’s mosques, chanting against Gov. Emad Mikhael and Prime Minister Essam Sharaf: “Oh Sharaf, say the truth … you’re being unfair to us or not?” and “Oh freedom where are you ... Mikhael is standing between us and you.”

Mikhael, a police general who served under former President Hosni Mubarak, is the only Copt among 18 new governors named by Sharaf on April 14. The decision was met by anger and exasperation from the city’s Islamic extremists and ultra-conservative Salafi groups.

Protests broke out the day after Mikhael’s appointment, but they have intensified in recent days as demonstrators blocked the railway road connecting Qena with Cairo, about 300 miles to the north, as well as several other main highways.

Copts had joined the protests in the early days of the protests because of Mikhael's connection to the former Mubarak regime. Mikhael had been appointed a police general by former Interior Minister Habib Adli, who is currently on trial for corruption charges and is allegedly responsible for giving orders to shoot protesters during the Jan. 25 national uprising.

But the demonstrations took on sectarian tones when conservative and extremist Islamists, who are vehemently opposed to a Coptic governor, increased their numbers amid the ranks of protesters. Government officials, including Interior and Local Development ministers as well as a number of Muslim clerics, visited Qena in an attempt to calm passions.

“The governor of Qena has not and will not resign and there are no alternatives. Objections based on his religion are unacceptable,” Cabinet spokesman Ahmed Al Saman said Wednesday. A day later, Sharaf expressed a willingness to visit Qena and listen to protesters’ demands when he returns next week from a tour in a number of Persian Gulf states.

Protests were condemned by the Coalition of the Jan. 25 Youth, who rejected the “sectarian and discriminative” slogans chanted in demonstrations. The Muslim Brotherhood has also voiced its concerns, saying that no one is entitled to block or halt railways and everyday activities.

Qena, which has a large community of Copts, has witnessed an increase in sectarian violence over the last few years. In January, three Muslims were found guilty of killing six Copts and a Muslim in a drive-by shooting outside a church in the governorate’s town of Nag Hammadi 12 months earlier.

-- Amro Hassan in Cairo

Photo: Scores of Islamists stage a protest in Cairo on March 29. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[kenneth . O]

Infidels cannot govern Muslim faithfuls. It´s okay if it is, other way round.
I find it disturbing that Westerners finds this issue very difficult to understand or assimilate. The truth is; Gov Emad Mikhael will not rule Quena, and if he does, he´s likely to face untimely death

[michael g]

Another shining example of intolerance and abject hatred from the "religion of peace". No Jews, no Christians, no one who doesn't practice strict Islamic living... Remember what our own President said to them, "One of the fondest memories I have of growing up was hearing the daily call to prayers over the loud speakers...". And this from our own Commander-in-Chief?? Disgraceful...

[zizi]

Gov. Emad Mikhael you don't need to govern 500 years back ward muslims. they will pull you back 500 years

[atrayu]

The US just a wrote a check for millions to people who hate and discriminate.

[keith]

I don't think anyone is blaming Israel for this unfortunate sectarian difficulty in Egypt.
I hope the tolerance and bravery of the revolution which impressed the world so profoundly will lay the foundation for a true democracy which includes all
groups in the country.
It is worth noting that Israel has only ever had one Arab Cabinet minister Raleb Majadle who served as minister for science and culture between 2007 and 2009. I suspect the voices criticising bigotry and political exclusion on the basis of race and religion will not be equally critical of the situation in Israel.

[Ariel]

So the Muslims in Qena don't want a Coptic Christian Govenor and most of you can only vomit out your Jew hatred disguised as anti-Israeli bile..
Oh, and ANTony has only the Indians in his sites.
The arabs in Israel have all the freedom in the world and anyone that says different is just ignorant of the facts and on the wrong side of history.. Sorry, your revisionist history just makes you sound like a stupid jew hating MF'er.
As the muslims slaughter each other in Egypt, Syria, etc... All you can do is cry about the terrible Jews. Israel is a reality and nothing you can do or say will ever change that facts.
It is also a known fact that the Jews have been around longer than any of them and the Christians have been in Egypt long before a pedophile started a religion, ruled and and raped with a sword.
Just ask the Persians, Indonesians, Arabs what Islam has done for them... As Connie Corleone yelled to her brother Michael "Read The Papers Read The Papers..

[Brett was here]

Israel is not the problem in Egypt. The Youth Movement gained substantially and have an opportunity to acquire real freedom and justice. They must abolish Article 2 of Egypt's Constitution that states:"Islam is the religion of the state and Arabic its official language. Islamic jurisprudence [Shari'a] is the principal source of legislation."

It is no secret that these bigot marches are inspired from the mosque - usually Friday after prayers. The UN delegation that was murdered in Afghanistan's Mazar e Sarif were similarly incited to kill Friday after prayers.

If these Islamists have any say in the government of Egypt, the peace treaty with Israel will subsequently be broken and Egypt will lose that fight. Egypt's Copt's and other minorities will suffer much. Tourism, Egypt's number one industry, will suffer much and their economy will go into the trash heap.

If the Islamists get any kind of foothold in Egypt - it will become another Islamic failed state - which will be tragic. You have an opportunity to create a real country of the people - don't mess it up by turning it into a destitute, starving and war ravaged country of the seedy evil creature of Friday Mosques.

[bruceben9]

and of course blame israel and the jews. talk about being ignorant and uneducated. let's not forget bigot and hater. muslims have maligned the jews for 1500 years. they were hitlers biggest supporters and proudly so. such a sad barbaric and backwards culture. a democratic arab/muslim world? i would not take that bet.

[bruceben9]

here we go. radical islamists starting to take control of egypt. i would say i can't believe anyone thought it would be different but there are so many living life with blinders on

[gmarantz]

Ah yes. A bunch of Islamist fanatics can't tolerate a Coptic Christian being their governor so Israel is at fault. Or maybe India is the country who stirred this up with their terrorist hordes. Or the USA that doesn't have as many senators and congressmen who are Muslims than are Jews.

How about those evil French who won't let Muslim women hide their face in public places? Or those racist British who refused to let a small group of Muslim Zealots picket the royal wedding?

What a bunch of bull written by a bunch of racist idiots!

Oh yeah, Iran is a democratic country. I didn't know that.

[ohcalcutagirl]

ten million more terry jones' would be a good start. somehow muslims will believe ANYTHING, a prophet who was illiterate and epileptic whose youngest wife was 6 yr old who said "no man shall be questioned why he beat his wife". the shame here is Egypt is in real financial trouble and 30% of the economy depends on tourism WHO NOW DON'T WANT TO GO THERE and if they get any more radical NO TOURISTS will go and unemployement will double to 50%. You would think at some point muslims would look around and see who succeeds and who fails. Russia and China are athiests and they do far better than muslim countries. just look at iran; considered the mad dog of nations.

[Human rights]

The people rationalizing this:

Do you think that the Copts of Egypt should get separate state formed out of areas with Coptic majorities? If there are going to be disqualifications to prevent them from holding office then obviously they would not trust the state.

Some people basically are saying, "What happens outside of the U.S. (others say the West) is *all* that matters. Human right violations in other countries *do not* matter. If they happen then *always* turn the focus back on Western countries and ignore everything else."

What a load of rubish. Wrongs in one place do not mean that they are good in another. Also, it is no longer possible for any specific part of the world to remain entirely free from the examination and comment from the rest.

Hopefully some of the posters here do not vote in Western countries (or anywhere for that matter) elections. Would be rather fearful to see what would happen if they elected representives who shreded Constitutions.

[India is a State Sponsor of Hindu Terrorism]

@ Antony

India is a State Sponsor of Terrorism and uses Terrorism as State Policy.

Lt. Col Prasad Srikant Purohit, a serving Hindu officer in the Indian Army, admitted to using Indian military RDX explosives in multiple terrorist bombings in India. These terrorist bombings were then used by the Indian government to round up and arrest and torture and kill thousands of Muslims in India.

Narendra Modi, Governor of Gujarat and a Hindu, advocated and led riots against Muslims in Gujarat. An elected Hindu official killing Muslims in his own province... and he is still Governor.

The RSS and Siva Sena are Hindu Terrorist Groups that have penetrated all levels of the Indian Government and Indian military. Hindu Terrorists now create official Indian state policy.

RAW, India's Hindu intelligence agency, created the world's first suicide bomb vest, not Muslims in the Middle East. India then gave these suicide bomb vests to the Hindu Tamil Tigers terrorist group to kill Buddhist and Christian civilians in Sri Lanka.

Hindu Swami Aseemanand admitted to organizing a Hindu Terrorist group that committed a train bombing of Pakistani Muslims, and again the blame was placed on innocent Muslims - who were tortured and killed by the Indian Hindu police.

This is ALL FACT.

So, what we should all learn is that India is a Fascist State.

Boycott India.

[Israel is the Problem in Egypt]

Israel is racist. Jews themselves claim to be "Chosen Ones" - that is a racist and exclusive perspective.

The people of Eygpt have been oppressed for the past 60 years because of Israel. Sadat and Mubarak have been propped up by the US Government so that white European Jews could steal Palestinian land from brown Asian Christians and brown Asian Muslims.

A democratic and free Egypt would overrun Israel without western oppression. All major US allies are dictatorships. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Pakistan. All Muslim democracies are considered "bad" by western governments - such as Iran, Gaza (Hamas is a democratically and THE legal government) and Turkey.

Israeli Muslims are second class citizens and subjected to severe discrimination.

Israel is the reason for the problems in Egypt.

[Antony]

Egyptians should learn from INDIA, where 4 out of 10 Presidents were Muslims despite the fact that 80 percent of India are Hindus. Wherever Islam is the majority, the minorities are crushed and eliminated!

[Abe]

@Anotherwhiner & Jake
Like christianity is not totalitarian, if anything Christianity is responsible for more deaths than islam heard of the crusades? the inquisition? the conquista? holocaust? American intervention in iraq? the christero war? should i go on?...

And it said that copts showed up for the demonstration too cause of his ties to the old regime, but extremists and conservatives turned it sectarian, kind of sounds like what conservatives in America are doing to Muslims.... Christians and Muslims preach the same views, conservatives are those who turn those views into violence

[Hypocrites]

If this was an article about Israel there would be hundreds of hateful comments about how racist Israel is .. but wait .. there are Christian and Muslim mayors in Israel .. the facts speak for themselves .. drum roll .. queue the Arab apologist liars ..

[Tyler]

If you as me, this sounds like a man who should not be a governor, based solely on this line.
>Mikhael, a police general who served under former President Hosni Mubarak

[geo88a]

I'd imagine, these Islamic extremists give the rest of the Muslims a bad name. This is absolutely, outrageous. What difference does it make if the the Qena governor is a Coptic Christian? Such intolerance.

[Then Appoint a Muslim Governor for New York]

It is not absurd. The Egyptian military is simply continuing the oppression of Muslims for the benefit of Christians and Jews.

Israel receives below market pricing on natural gas; fuel that no democratic Muslim country would sell to Israel.

@ anotherwhiner - as long as you remain uneducated, you will be a slave to the West.

@ jake - Pyramids and Coptics are not Muslim, so why would Muslims want to be ruled by them.

Since the Jewish and Muslim population in America is the same, then there should be 18 Muslim Senators to go along with the 18 Jewish Senators. However, that is not the case, because America is a nation of racists and bigots.