A wedding organized by the Egyptian al-Wafd Party was held today during a Nubian protest in Duret el-Nil Park in front of the governorate building in Aswan. The couple said they shared a dream of returning to Nubia and that they wanted to send a message to Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf. They hoped to honeymoon on the banks of Lake Nasser. Many prominent people from Aswan and Nubia attended the wedding, including Director of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Awqaf) Sheikh Mohammed Abdelaziz who spoke to attendees and protestors about the legitimacy of Nubian rights. Abdelaziz asked protestors to have patience and understanding. Activist Bakheet Nazif delivered a talk about Nubian history in the development of southern Egypt while stressing the need to recognize Nubian history and respect the Nubian identity. Hassan el-Sagheer performed traditional Nubian songs for the wedding celebration. Nubian protestors are demanding the right to return to and own the land around Lake Nasser. Nubians lost rights to the land and were forcibly resettled in the 1960s after the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
