MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

For … business purposes? This is one I can’t figure out. Perhaps Mohammed Morsi is actually trying to dissuade non-Muslims from visiting Egypt entirely in the hopes of encouraging more Sharia tourism? …

By Max Fisher, The Washington Post – “It was only 16 years ago, in 1997, that members of an Egyptian militant group called Gamaa Islamiya stormed the ancient Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor, a tourism magnet, and massacred 62 tourists before killing themselves, part of their insurgent campaign against the government. This week, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi swore in Adel Mohamed al-Khayat, a former leader of Gamaa Islamiya and now a member of its political arm, as the new governor of Luxor governorate.

Gamaa Islamiya swore off violence and denounced al-Qaeda a decade ago. But they are still listed by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist group, which cites a number of other terrorist attacks before the group’s 1999 about-face and says that part of the group never renounced violence. Khayat joined Gamaa before it renounced violence and he was serving as one of its leaders, according to Reuters, when the 1997 attack took place, albeit in a different province.

The growing political influence of Islamism in Egypt, both moderate and not, is a trend larger than just Khayat or his group. It would hardly be fair to blame Morsi for Gamaa Islamiya’s long-standing base of support in some rural area of Egypt. But his decision to appoint Khayat, whose group is best known for terrifying foreigners into avoiding Egyptian tourism sites, to the job of running Luxor is baffling. The region is known as a major, international tourist draw, making it not just a source of Egyptian pride but of increasingly crucial and scarce tourism revenue.

Tourism has dropped in Egypt since the January 2011 revolution, costing the country an estimated $2.5 billion at a time when it needs every penny. So many of Egypt’s problems are worsened by the country’s economic struggle that you might think Morsi would seize any opportunity he could to boost tourism income. Although Khayat has said he welcomes ‘all forms of tourism’ – a subtle pledge, perhaps, that yes Westerners are still allowed in Luxor – his appointment seems unlikely to bolster tourist confidence in the region.” Read more.

Egypt Tourism Minister Quits Over New Luxor Governor – “Egypt’s tourism minister has resigned a day after President Mohamed Morsi appointed a new governor to Luxor province from an Islamist party linked to a massacre of holidaymakers in the temple city. Hesham Zazou said on Wednesday he ‘couldn’t continue in the role of tourism minister’ after the appointment of Adel al-Khayat, a former member of the political arm of Islamist group Gamaa Islamiya.” Read more.

Flashback: Brotherhood ‘Inspired’ Egyptian Businessmen Now Encouraging ‘Sharia Tourism’ – “In what appears to be another expression of the strengthening of Islam under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood, Channel 2 News reported on Sunday of a new initiative in Egypt which encourages ‘sharia tourism.’ The new project, initiated by local businessmen, is directed at the religious sector in Egypt and allows it to take a vacation which follows the rules of Islam. Two businessmen have launched the initiative as part of a local company called Shouq Travel, and they invite vacationers to arrange their vacation according to Sharia law.” Read more.