CAIRO: Qena governorate residents who are protesting the appointment of a Coptic governor with ties to the former regime, continued their demonstrations for the eighth consecutive day after Friday prayers. The protesters, mainly conservative Salafists – those who adhere to a literal interpretation of the Qur'an – lashed out against Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and his deputy, Yehia al-Gamal, and called for their resignations following a statement by the Egyptian Cabinet that Governor Emad Mikhael remain in his position. The government has also mandated the Minister of Interior Mansour Essawi to deal with the “outlaws who are blocking the railway roads and daily life in Qena,” in reference to the Salafis, who are denouncing the appointment of a second consecutive Coptic governor . On Thursday, the Sharaf tried to appease the protesters and announced his intention to visit Qena on his official Facebook and Twitter pages to negotiate with the protesters, hoping that the residents in Qena would receive him as a “guest” and to have a dialogue with them to “reach a satisfactory solution.” However, his announcement did not seem to satisfy the tens of thousands of the residents of Qena who staged protests after Friday prayers in front of the headquarters of the governorate. Local reports said that the number of protesters reached 12,000 strong, with them vowing to continue their protests until the government replaces the newly-appointed governor. Protesters said they would continue demonstrating until the government replaces Mikhail, a former police general, with a Muslim governor. “The protests are sectarian,” Bishop Kirilos of the nearby town of Nagaa Hammadi told reporters. “They are led by Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood, and they are chanting: ‘We won't leave until the Christians leave',” he said. On Friday, the Coalition of the Youth of the January 25 Revolution of Qena issued a statement asking the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces not to forcibly disperse the sit-in, and allow them to continue their initiative and negotiations with local representatives of the different groups of the protesters. They said they proposed appointing a governor from the armed forces for three months, until a governor is elected by the residents of Qena, who would have their say and at the same time, it “would be a model for electing governors all over the country.” Earlier, the coalition had issued a statement denouncing the protests, as the majority of the protesters carried what they said were “sectarian and discriminative” slogans, a matter which the coalition rejected completely. Videos online show the protesters chanting anti-Christian statements and calling them “infidels” in what many fear could result in clashes. The coalition, however, accused former members of the dismantled National Ruling Democratic party and the State Security Apparatus of inciting sectarian tensions and taking advantage of the appointment of a Coptic Police Major to stir sectarian tensions and serve their counter-revolution. They said these elements incited the Salafis to carry the Saudi Arabian flag and reject the appointment of a Coptic governor. BM
