Egypt tourism minister protests over Islamist governor

  
Egypt's tourism minister tendered his resignation on Tuesday over President Mohamed Morsi's decision to appoint as governor of Luxor a member of a hard-line Islamist group blamed for slaughtering 58 tourists there in 1997.      

Prime Minister Hisham Kandil did not accept the resignation of Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou, who remains in the post for now. However, the move pointed to a split in government over an appointment that one critic called "the last nail in the coffin" of the tourism industry.                               

Morsi appointed Adel Mohamed al-Khayat, a member of al-Gamaa al-Islamiya (Muslim Brotherhood), as Luxor governor this week, a move seen as a sign of a deepening political alliance between the once-armed group and the head of the state's more mainstream Muslim Brotherhood.                               

In a telephone interview with Reuters, 60-year-old new governor Khayat insisted he would work to develop tourism:                              

"Luxor is open to all tourists from all over the world," he said. "They are my main concern and are looked after by the state, which is responsible for their security and their wellbeing."              

Khayat said he had joined the group in 1975, when it first emerged, but denied any role in militancy. He said his activism was restricted to taking part in university seminars, and he had worked as a civil servant at the housing ministry since 1986.               

Clashes erupted on Tuesday between supporters and opponents of Egypt's president and his Muslim Brotherhood over his appointment of new Islamist governors, some in areas where opponents are strong.                  

The protests signaled increasing tension in the deeply polarized nation ahead of mass protests demanding the ouster of the president, Mohammed Morsi, who marks his first year in power June 30.           

On Sunday, Morsi appointed 17 new governors, including seven members of the Brotherhood and one from an ex-militant group to rule the ancient city of Luxor.


REUTERS/AP